


Love Again

by Lucretia_Cyphus



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 23:10:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5946871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucretia_Cyphus/pseuds/Lucretia_Cyphus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A take on what could have happened if Regina had gone into the Tavern and met Robin Hood. Loosely based on the film The Illusionist. Regina escapes from her life as a lonely Queen and finds happiness with her Outlaw in Sherwood Forest. But eventually the past catches up with them and she must choose whether or not to return to the Palace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

AN: This is my first Outlaw Queen fic, hope you enjoy it! You don’t need to have seen “The Illusionist” to understand it, but it might help. However, this is only loosely based on it, so for those of you who have seen it, it’s not exactly the same!  
Prologue  
He’d been sitting in the dark cell for three days now. The guards never spoke to him when they brought him bread and water. No one would tell him whether or not he was to be executed, and his one request for a quill and parchment was denied. He wanted write to his wife and let her know what had happened, but the Queen obviously didn’t want him communicating with anyone outside the dungeon. Although perhaps that was a blessing in disguise, as he didn’t want his wife to risk coming to rescue him. Their children needed her.  
He heard the doors leading to the castle dungeon open and heard footsteps and voices coming closer. He recognized one. It was the Queen, with her soft voice that all of her kingdom seemed to love. He guessed that the man’s voice was either a guard or her husband, the Prince Consort. They were whispering to each other as their footsteps approached his cell.  
After a moment, their voices stopped and shadows invaded his cell. He knew they had stopped in front of him, but he refused to look their way.  
“Robin of Locksley,” the man said when he reached the cell. “We’re here to give you another chance to talk.”  
Robin refused to look at him or the Queen. She spoke next.  
“All I’m asking is for the truth,” the Queen’s voice said from behind her, trying to sound firm, but failing. “This is your chance for clemency.”  
Robin said nothing in return. He had made a promise to keep a secret. And unlike the young woman in front of him, he would keep it.  
“It’s no use, Snow,” the man said. It must have been the Prince. A guard would have said ‘Your Majesty.’ “He doesn’t want to talk.”  
“I don’t want to execute you,” the Queen said softly. “But you committed treason simply by being involved in the Queen’s assassination. I’m offering you a chance to take your life back. I just want the truth.”  
He refused to be brought in by her speech. She could cry on his shoulder if she wanted, but he would never betray the woman he loved.  
“Just tell me why,” she continued, clearly upset. “Why did you kill her? What could she have possibly done?”  
“Snow,” the Prince cautioned softly. “He’s become a thief and an outlaw since her murder. I’m not sure we can trust what he says.”  
He heard the Queen suck in a breath, and then she spoke again.  
“David this is the closest I’ve ever come to learning why she was murdered,” she said softly, but audibly. “Please, let me try.”  
“Okay, but we still need to do what the Kingdom needs. And we already know he is a traitor, we don’t need this to sentence him.”  
The Queen ignored her Prince and started speaking more forcefully.  
“Maybe you didn’t kill her, but you must know how someone else did. That so called magic trick caused my step-mother’s death and I want to know why. No war started after her death. There were no demands or threats. So why is she dead, what purpose did it serve?”   
Robin didn’t respond, but he did finally turn to look at her. He was surprised by what he saw in her eyes. Pain, and sadness. She truly missed the woman she was accusing him of murdering. As his eyes met hers, she got a hopeful look on her face, but he simply shook his head. If he told her the truth, his family would be in danger.  
“You really won’t tell me? Nothing?”  
“I can’t,” he said simply. “You can threaten me all you want. I can’t tell you anything. I’m sorry you lost someone you cared for, but I can’t help you.”  
The Queen’s eyes narrowed.  
“Well, you have two days to change your mind,” she said, upset. She turned and began walking back toward the entrance. The Prince stayed behind.  
“Look, you don’t have to go down for this alone. We know you weren’t the only one involved. Give her some peace with an explanation and tell us who else was involved.”  
“I told you, I can’t,” Robin said.  
“Then there’s nothing else we can do.”  
The Prince shrugged and walked back to the entrance. Robin leaned back against the damp wall and sighed.  
‘Regina,’ he prayed, hoping some deity would get her the message. ‘Stay safe. Don’t come for me. Stay where they won’t find you.’  
If Queen Snow White found out her step-mother hadn’t died, but had left, Robin didn’t want to know what might happen to her.


	2. The Tavern Meeting

CHAPTER ONE  
His tattoo was surrounded by green light that only Regina could see. She still couldn’t see his face, but couldn’t deny that at the very least, she was curious.  
‘I can do this,’ she muttered to herself, her hand grasping the knob of the tavern door. ‘I can be happy,’ although she still wasn’t entirely sure about that. She sucked in a breath and opened the door. She stared at the tattoo and thought for a moment of how she should approach him. She momentarily panicked at the thought and shut the door. She started to turn and run away, but saw Tinkerbell standing a bit down the street.  
“Go on,” the fairy mouthed with a big smile on her face. “You can do this!”  
Regina nodded, realizing this fairy was not going to let her off so easily. She took another breath and stepped inside.   
The tavern was fairly crowded, mostly with men, although there were a few women who were patronesses rather than bar maids. The first thing Regina noticed was that no one was dressed the way she was. A few heads turned toward her fine white dress as she walked in and she worried she’d attract too much attention.   
Would they recognize her? The thought made her breath quicken in a fear, but then she realized they’d have no reason to know who she was. She hadn’t left the palace since she’d been married to King Leopold almost a year ago, except to go to the woods for her magic lessons with Rumpelstiltskin. Leopold preferred his precious daughter’s company to his wife’s during royal appearances and visits, so no one had seen much of Regina. Without her carriage and guards, no one would have any reason to believe she was the Queen.   
Still, there was no denying she was out of place here. She wasn’t even sure if one was supposed to sit down first or approach the bar to order a drink. She had never set foot in a tavern in her life. Daniel had never taken her to one during their excursions and her mother certainly would never have allowed her in on. Regina remembered her mother once saying that taverns were where men hunted unsuspecting girls for their own amusement.  
Regina didn’t want to simply stand awkwardly and keep attracting attention, and was relieved to see an open table. She quickly took a seat and continued looking around. The place was rather rustic, and the other people there looked like they belonged there. It was a place for the farmers and villagers to have a good time and they all seemed to be.  
The man with the lion tattoo was sitting at a table with a bunch of men he seemed to know. Now that she had worked out a place to sit, Regina realized she had no idea how to approach him. Should she just go over and strike up a conversation, or try to subtly move closer to him. She could now see him from the side, and part of her didn’t really want to admit it but she did find him very handsome with his sandy hair what seemed like a nice smile when she could only see half of it. She thought his eyes might be blue, but she wasn’t close enough to see. She strained her eyes to try to get a closer look, but she didn’t want to be too obvious.  
“What can I get for you Miss?” A female voice said from the other side and Regina didn’t immediately realize the question was meant for her.  
“Miss? Miss?” The voice said louder into her ear and Regina started. She looked up to see a blond bar maid looking at her with a confused expression.  
“Is everything alright Miss?” she asked. ‘Miss, that’s me,’ Regina thought to herself. She had rarely been addressed as anything but ‘Your Majesty’ in a year and hadn’t expected to be called ‘Miss’ ever again.  
“Yes, I’m sorry,” she said, trying to recover her surprise and think of something to order. Wine seemed like an odd drink for this environment. “Um, I’m not sure yet,” she continued nervously, moving her head slightly to look back at the man.  
The bar maid followed her line of vision and a small smile began appearing on her face.  
“Seems like you need something that conjures courage,” she said.  
“Well…” Regina began, feeling her face turn red.  
“No worries, I know just the thing.”  
She walked back to the bar and poured an amber colored liquid into a glass. She brought it back over to Regina and set it down.  
“Whisky. It’ll calm your nerves,” she said, before leaning in to whisper, “And it can even act as a love potion of sorts.”  
Regina blushed further, and took a sip. She was surprised by how strong it was and made an effort not to spit it out.  
“Don’t drink it too fast, it can take a while to get used to it,” the bar maid said, bemused.  
Regina took a breath and nodded. “I gathered that, thank you,” she said.  
“Well, I’ll be making the rounds if you need anything else,” she said, moving back to the bar to fetch some beers the bar tender had poured. Regina watched as she approached the table where the man with the lion tattoo was sitting. The bar maid seemed to whisper something to him, and he suddenly looked over in her direction. Regina quickly looked away, embarrassed to be caught staring.  
‘This is stupid,’ she thought to herself, angrily. ‘You don’t even know him and you’re acting ridiculous. Let’s go, the fairy was probably talking nonsense anyway.’  
She was about to get up and leave when a male voice near her said,  
“And just what is a beautiful young lady like yourself doing in a tavern all alone?”   
Regina looked up and saw a man standing next to her table. It was not the man she’d been staring at all evening. This one had darker hair and gave her a smile that made her feel squeamish. He attempted to put his hand on her arm and she shoved him off.   
“I wanted a drink,” she answered shortly, the way she would speak to an impertinent servant. “Is there a problem with that?”  
“Not at all,” he said, still grinning. “I’m just curious as to why you should be alone.”  
“I don’t think that’s really any of your concern,” she said, standing up and shrugging his hand off her a second time.  
“Oh come on lass, I’m just being friendly,” he said, as she tried to push past him.  
Regina momentarily wondered what exactly his definition of ‘friendly’ was.  
“Let me go,” she said forcefully, as he gripped her arm harder to prevent her from moving. The anger that had dissipated slightly in anticipation of what might happen tonight, started to flare up and she was suddenly tempted to use magic. But she hesitated, not wanting to draw more attention to herself.  
Then, he moved his other arm, clearly intending to stop her moving again, and she lost her inhibitions. She let her anger take over again and the man went flying across the tavern and hit the back wall.  
The tavern went silent, and all heads turned to see what had occurred. Regina took a breath and looked at the ground to avoid everyone’s eyes. She quickly moved toward the door and pushed past a few people to exit.   
She heard some mumbling start out as she neared the door. Suddenly, a kinder voice called out,  
“Milady, are you alright?”  
Regina saw the man with the lion tattoo standing up from the corner of her eye. She turned to look at him, and saw a look of concern that was oddly coupled with an admiring smile.  
“Yes, I’m alright, thank you,” she responded in a low voice.  
“That was very impressive,” he said with a wider smile that made her want to smile back. “Not everyone has the guts to stand up to the owner’s son like that.”   
The men who were sitting with him nodded and murmured their assent. Not used to people looking impressed with her, Regina could only smile shyly. She looked back to where the man she’d hit with magic was slowly getting up off the floor.  
“He’s the owner’s son?” Regina asked, surprised. “I don’t know if I’d want to meet the owner.”  
“Oh, he’s not so bad,” another man spoke up. “When he knows what his son’s doing he takes care of it.”  
“Well, I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, turning.  
“Sit down if you want,” the man with the lion tattoo invited, gesturing to the seat next to him.   
“Oh, no,” she said, although this is more than she hoped for. “I should probably go before there’s more trouble.”  
“Oh, don’t worry about it, the owner’s already warning him to behave,” the other man said, pointing to the back where an older man was telling his son off.  
“Please sit, don’t give him the satisfaction,” the man said, still smiling.  
His smile was infectious. ‘You can do this,’ she reminded herself, and moved to sit in the chair.  
“Another drink for the lady,” the man called out to the same blond bar maid, who grinned when she saw them together. “Robin of Locksley,” he continued, turning to Regina with a hand out.  
“Regina,” she answered, shaking his hand shyly.   
“And this is Will Scarlet, and John Little.”  
“But we call him Little John,” Will Scarlet said.   
Regina snorted, since John was a very large man. The bar maid came back and handed her another glass of whisky. She took a sip.  
“So, we haven’t seen you around before,” Robin said. “Are you from these parts?”  
“No,” Regina said, honestly. “Just passing through.”  
“You on your way to a palace or something?” Little John asked.   
Regina felt herself blanch at the question.   
“John…” Robin said with a warning tone.  
“Well it’s not completely unlikely in that dress,” John said.  
“No,” Regina said, cautiously. “I’m not on my way to a palace,” and suddenly felt a wave of confidence. “Are you on your way to a buffet?” she asked sarcastically with a grin.  
She saw Robin start smiling wider out of the corner of her eye and the man named Will started laughing. John got a strange glint in his eyes but Regina thought she could see a hint of a smile starting on his face.  
“Oh come on Little John, don’t dish it out if you can’t take it,” Robin said.  
Little John started to laugh along with them.  
“What about you?” Regina asked Robin, feeling more confident in starting a conversation. “Are you passing through here?”  
“In a sense,” he answered, turning in his chair to face her. “We’re travelling with our magician friend whose doing shows throughout the kingdoms. We assist and he gives us a share of the cut. We’ve been here a few days though, that’s how we know the owner’s sons a problem.”  
“Oh, how interesting. Is he someone I would have heard of?”  
“His name is Gwydion, but he hasn’t performed much in these parts,” Robin answered. “He does amazing illusions though, and he’s hoping to gain more of an audience.”  
He went on to explain that they’d been travelling through the kingdoms of King George and King Midas and doing street performances for tips. Will Scarlet joked that they made extra by picking the pockets of the wealthier people who came out if there were any. Regina wondered if that was another, although more subtle, comment about her clothing, but she saw Robin shake his head at him.  
“So, you’re also a thief” She asked him, smiling a little nervously. Pixie dust or no, is that what she wanted?  
“If you want to toss labels about, you could say that,” he said, turning back to her. “How about you Milady? What should I call you?”  
“I prefer Regina,” she said, finding his confidence in challenging her somewhat endearing, even if she wasn’t sure about the thief thing.  
“And I, Robin,” he said, with a handsome smirk.  
Regina noticed Will Scarlet’s attention was suddenly diverted from the banter to another bar maid who was eyeing him. He got a mischievous grin on his face and tapped John on the shoulder.  
“C’mon mate, let’s go say hello,” he said, gesturing to the woman. John rolled his eyes, but got up and followed him.  
“Are you going to go with them?” Regina asked Robin. He shook his head.  
“Will only needs one wing man. Plus I’m hoping if I don’t encourage him, he’ll turn up for the show tomorrow. Gwydion won’t like it if he doesn’t have all of us there take money and assist.”  
“So, when you say you assist a magician, are you actually part of the illusions?” Regina asked. She was more familiar with the type of magic Rumpelstiltskin was teaching her, but the illusions magicians created required different skills.   
Robin shook his head.  
“No, so far Gwydion prefers to use us to pickpocket people during the show. He actually makes more money off that than the tricks sometimes.”  
“How did you come into that?” Regina asked, curious and trying to ignore the pounding in her heart. He wasn’t what she had expected, although admittedly she hadn’t known what to expect when all she had to go on was pixie dust.  
He hesitated for a moment but started talking while he looked her in the eyes.  
“I was exiled. I’m originally from Nottingham,” he said.  
“Oh, yes, King Richard’s territory,” she responded. “But his brother is actually ruling right now, if I remember correctly,” she recalled something being mentioned about it at court.  
“Yes, exactly. And his brother, Prince John, is a brute. He’s taken over a lot of estates, and the Sheriff is in his pockets. I protested the new taxes and the drove me out. That’s why I send money back. I don’t have a family, but my father’s old tenants need help.”  
“That’s quite noble of you,” she commented.  
He gave a soft smile and shrugged. He went on to tell her that he’d met John and Will while on the run after a near deadly confrontation with the Sheriff of Nottingham. They had met Gwydion when they tried to rob him after one of his performances. It had nearly ended badly, but the magician had been impressed with them, and had taught them better techniques in exchange for their help to raise (and steal) money during their shows.  
When Robin seemed near the end of his story, the bar maid who had served Regina in the bar earlier came over.  
“Sorry to kick you out, but we’re closing up.”  
Regina suddenly looked up and realized they were the only two left in the tavern. Robin pulled some coins out of his pocket and handed them to the woman.  
“Will that be enough for both of ours?” he asked.  
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Regina protested, feeling guilty since he obviously had little and she was wealthy. Of course, she had left in a hurry with Tinkerbell and hadn’t brought any money with her, so she couldn’t actually pay.  
“I insist,” he said, as they both got up from the table. They walked out into the street, which was quiet and dark.  
“So,” he continued as they walked slowly together. “You’ve basically heard my story, but I still don’t know much about you. Where are you from?”  
Regina swallowed hard. She had really started enjoying his company, and he had just an interesting story himself. There was only so much she could tell him in exchange.  
“Far from here,” she answered. “I left home myself, although not for the same reasons you did.”  
Robin’s interest seemed to peak as he turned to look at her again.  
“What were yours?”  
“Um, well, my mother really,” she answered. It wasn’t really a lie after all. “She was trying to force me into a marriage I didn’t want and the only way out turned out to be leaving.” It didn’t seem the right time to explain that her mother had succeeded, because she hadn’t left in time.  
“So you’re searching for a different life then?” he asked, seeming to sense she wasn’t comfortable with details yet.  
She smiled wider.   
“I guess you could say that. I’m not really sure where my life is headed.” That was also true.  
“Are you staying around here? I could walk you back,” he offered as they reached a fork in the road.  
Regina didn’t want to say goodbye, but there was no place for him to walk her back to. She’d have to magically transport herself back to the Palace and that would raise too many questions.  
“That’s alright, I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’m sure you need to get back yourself.”  
“Are you still going to be here tomorrow?” he asked, looking like he hoped the answer was yes. “You could see the show if you wanted. I mean, I’d like to see you again.”  
“I’d like that too,” she admitted, shyly. Maybe there was a way to make it back tomorrow night. “I’ll try to make it if I can.”  
Robin smiled again, his blue eyes alight at the idea.  
“Well I’ll just hope to see you then, Milady.”  
“Yes,” she said, although she didn’t move to walk away yet.  
There was a pause and he spoke up again, with a questioning voice.  
“Forgive me, but would it be terribly unbecoming of a thief to steal a kiss from you?” he asked.  
Later on, Regina wouldn’t be sure what exactly came over her. But in the moment, she felt pulled toward him and found herself moving to kiss him on the lips. She backed away and saw him looking somewhat surprised.  
“Well, you can’t steal something that’s been given to you,” she said, and turned to run down the path, her adrenaline pumping from the sweet taste of his lips and how her heart rate had increased when they’d touched. She turned into the trees so he would be less likely to follow and used magic to transport herself back to the Palace.  
She fell back onto her bed when she arrived and let the night play back through her head. She had felt light and alive for the first time in over a year. She still wasn’t sure about this soul mate thing. But she did know she wanted to see him again.


	3. One Secret Revealed

CHAPTER TWO  
Regina heard a flutter by her window and looked up from her bed to see Tinkerbell flying into her room. She sat up with a smile on her face. Tinkerbell made herself big and plopped on the bed facing her.  
“Oh, I know that look!” she said excitedly. “That’s the glow of new love!”  
“Well, maybe,” Regina said, her face turning pink at the thought.  
“Ooh tell me everything!” Tinkerbell insisted, grasping Regina’s hand.  
Regina proceeded to at least give her some of the details, many of which the fairy squealed at, especially the kiss at the end.  
“When are you going to see him again?” Tinkerbell asked excitedly.  
“Well,” Regina answered honestly. “His magician friend has a show tomorrow night in the same area that he told me about.”  
“You have to go!” Tinkerbell said. “Come on, no excuses, you need to go!”  
“I want too,” she admitted, thinking about it. “I mean, to be honest, I’m not really in love with him, but…”  
“Of course you’re not yet,” Tinkerbell said. “That can take time, even if you are soul mates.”  
“But I do want to see him again.”  
“Then we’ll go,” the fairy said, her wings flapping excitedly.   
“You’re coming?” Regina asked, surprised.  
“Of course, I’ll take you to him! Since it’s worked out I’d love see the face of the man with the tattoo. Did you ask him about it? I did wonder about its significance,” Tinkerbell rambled.  
“No, that never came up. But a lot of men have tattoos, I didn’t think that was what was important.”  
“No, of course not, I’m just curious. So, tomorrow evening I’ll come get you and we’ll fly back to him.”  
Regina nodded, smiling more brightly than she had since Daniel.  
“Yes,” she agreed. “Come tomorrow a bit before sun down. The servants rarely see me after dinner anyway so they won’t notice.”  
“I guess this will be easy until your husband comes back then,” Tinkerbell said, standing up.  
“Well, he doesn’t notice much more than they do anyway. It’s Snow White I’ll have to be careful of,” Regina explained.  
“Well, I’m sure by then we’ll think of something,” Tinkerbell said, shrinking herself back to fairy size and starting to fly out of Regina’s bed chamber. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
***  
The next day, Regina spent the morning in happy anticipation of seeing Robin again. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so light. She felt like she could float away, but it didn’t scare her like she thought it might. Knowing Tinkerbell would be arriving in the early afternoon, Regina made sure the servants knew not to disturb her after lunch. She would ring when she wanted dinner.   
She also pulled some clothing out of her wardrobe, to see if she could find anything that wasn’t too extravagant and queenly. Regina knew she could only risk attracting attention with fine clothing so many times. Any of her gowns were out of the question since they were even more extravagant than the white dress. But perhaps her riding breeches and leather vest would do it. She might still stick out, but no one would necessarily think she was royalty or wealthy. Even better, she wouldn’t need a maid’s help to get into it.  
“Where are you headed dearie?” came a high voice she didn’t want to hear. She sighed, stopped braiding her hair, and turned to see Rumpelstiltskin. “You missed your lesson again.”  
She stared at him for a moment.  
“I know,” Regina said, gearing herself up for refusing him. She didn’t know exactly how he would take it, but somehow she knew she didn’t need his magic anymore. Tinkerbell was right, she needed love. While she wasn’t sure if the pixie dust had actually brought her to her soul mate, or if anything would happen with Robin Hood. But she didn’t need darkness, she needed some light. And her mother was gone, so she couldn’t stop her. Regina wasn’t going to stand in her own way now.   
“And I’ve made my decision. I don’t want to learn anymore magic from you. You can have your book back, I won’t need it anymore,” she said, moving to her vanity to pick it up.  
“You’re making a mistake dearie. One day, you will pay the price for this,” he said, taking the spell book from her.  
“We didn’t make a deal,” Regina reminded him. “You just offered to teach me how. I was never obligated to continue.”  
“That wasn’t a threat. It’s a promise. One day, you will regret this,” he said.  
Regina nodded.  
“Perhaps I will. But probably not as much as I will if I continue with you. I told you, I don’t want to be like my mother, or like you. Please, go now. Find another student if you need to teach someone. I’m sure you’ll find someone more than suitable for whatever it is you want.”  
Rumpelstiltskin gave her an annoyed look, and poofed himself away. Regina was surprised, she had expected a longer argument. But there was no time to question him now. Tinkerbell would be here soon to take her to the show. She quickly finished putting her hair up in her braided bun and waited.  
Tinkerbell was late and Regina was getting agitated and started to second guess herself. Had she been foolish? To put her trust in a fairy? To send Rumple out of her life so quickly.  
Just as she was ready to kick herself, a green light streamed into her chambers and Tinkerbell appeared, looking out of breath.  
“Sorry I’m so late, I had to sneak away. Blue was reaming into me about the pixie dust I took. I thought she was going to take my wings away for a minute there.”  
“Wow,” Regina said, calming herself down as she realized there was no need to be angry. “She really is very particular about it, isn’t she?”  
“Very, but when I explained how much good it seemed to do you, the pink fairy stood up for me, and then some of the others did too.”  
“And she backed down, just like that?” Regina asked, having heard stories of the Blue Fairy before.  
“Well, not exactly. She didn’t take my wings, but I’m on probation until she thinks I’ve proved myself. But don’t worry about it now. Let’s go, before we miss the show. I can’t use pixie dust to fly us there, so we’ll have to make do with fairy dust this time. But I remember where we were, so no worries. Are you ready?”  
“Yes,” Regina said, with more enthusiasm than she was used to showing. “Let’s go.”  
Tinkerbell waved her wand and Regina felt herself floating off the ground again. They flew over the kingdoms and Regina enjoyed the wind against her face, even more powerful than it was when she galloped on Rocinante.  
They flew down to the woods by the village they had landed in last night. When they walked out to the streets, they saw much more of a crowd than there had been the previous evening. Men, women, and children were bustling through the streets in excitement.   
“They must all be heading to the show,” Tinkerbell said as they walked down the crowded street.  
“It seems like it must be the most exciting thing that’s ever happened for them,” Regina noted as they moved with the crowd, smiling as children ran past her excitedly.  
“It probably is,” Tinkerbell said. “Point out your new beau when you see him.”  
Regina rolled her eyes.   
“He’s not my beau,” she said.  
“Maybe not yet,” Tinkerbell said confidently.  
They were approaching a more condensed crowd, who were surrounding a fence.  
“Let’s see if we can get up closer,” Tinkerbell said, starting to move around the crowd.  
“Okay,” Regina said, following her and craning her neck to see if she could see Robin. He was probably with John and Will collecting money. Regina was glad she’d remembered to bring some gold with her this time.  
“Here’s a spot!” Tinkerbell half shouted as she grabbed Regina’s hand and pulled her over to an opening in the fence before other people could fill it.  
There was a staging area inside the fence, with some equipment the Regina figured must be used for the illusions. She thought she saw John and Will in the crowd collecting money. Then she was pretty sure she saw Will knick something from someone’s pocket, and reminded herself to keep hands in her own. Or, maybe she’d just give it all to them. She did have plenty more after all.  
“Do you see him?” Tinkerbell asked, eagerly.  
“No,” Regina said, straining her neck to see if he was on the other side.  
It turned out she didn’t have to wait much longer. An older man who Regina realized must be Gwydion entered the circle with Robin at his side.  
“That’s him,” Regina tried to subtly point him out to Tinkerbell.  
The magician moved to the center of the staging area, Robin close behind him. Robin was carrying a large pot of some kind and set it down on the ground. He looked up and around at the crowd, clearly looking for someone.   
“He’s looking for you,” Tinkerbell stated.  
“Maybe,” Regina said.  
Robin’s eyes suddenly met hers and he smiled delightedly in her direction. She grinned back and tried to subtly wave. He raised his hand back slightly and moved back to make room for Gwydion. The magician took a large apple out of his coat and showed it to the crowd. Many people began whispering amongst themselves, probably trying to figure out what Gwydion was going to do with the apple. Regina noticed it was the same type of apples that grew on her tree.  
Gwydion moved the apple around so that everyone could see it was ordinary, or so Regina presumed. He then bent down to put inside the pot and buried it with dirt. He stood up and put his hand over it. At first Regina didn’t fully understand what he was doing, but after a moment it looked like a thin tree trunk was growing through the soil. Slowly, it started to grow taller and grew branches and leaves. Regina’s eyes widened as it grew larger and produced apples.  
“He must have actual magical abilities,” she whispered to Tinkerbell. “That can’t just be an illusion.”  
“I can’t tell from here, but you’re probably right. Whatever it is, it’s not fairy dust, I’d know that.”  
When the apple trick was over, the audience was enthralled. The magician began preparing for his next illusion. He had several different ones that Regina had to admit were quite impressive, including one that Robin assisted in that involved his reflection in the mirror moving when he wasn’t.   
There was even a trick based on the old legends of Excalibur, trying to pull a sword that was perfectly pointed on the ground. None of the men who were called up were able to pull it off the ground, much to the amusement of the majority of the audience. Robin was the one going around and choosing the people. When he got to Regina’s part of the circle, he slowed down and their eyes met. He gave her a small wink and started grinning widely. She realized what he was going to do just before he did it, and her eyes widened. She was about to shake her head ‘no’ when he held out his hand.  
“Milady, perhaps have a true heart and can pull the sword.”  
Tinkerbell nudged her forward.  
“Go on, no one here knows you,” she whispered in her ear.  
And she was right, these weren’t her subjects. And those dimples were hard to resist.  
“Perhaps,” she said, taking his hand and allowed him to lead her into the circle.  
“I’m glad you made it,” Robin whispered. “I was hoping I’d see you.”  
“You didn’t tell me you were actually assisting,” Regina whispered softly back.  
“I only found out this morning. Wait until you see his finale,” he said as they approached Gwydion.  
“Let’s see if the lady can pull the sword!” Gwydion shouted out to the crowd. The women in the crowd began cheering loudly, and most of the men did too, although Regina noted some of the ones who’d failed to pull up the sword looked irritated.  
“Go on,” Robin encouraged.  
Regina took a breath and walked to the sword. She tugged on it hard for a moment and at first it wouldn’t budge. She figured it wouldn’t just like for everyone else, but then suddenly it came up easily.  
There was stillness and then the crowd began cheering. Robin was grinning from ear to ear and Gwydion winked at her.  
“Now here’s a woman with the heart of a hero!” he shouted to the crowd, and offered his hand to Regina. “Thank you, milady,” he said, and signaled for her to go back to her place.  
She walked back and saw Tinkerbell smiling excitedly.  
“That was brilliant!”  
“Oh come on Tinkerbell,” Regina said, rolling her eyes as she smiled. “You know he just took off whatever spell he has on it when I tried to lift it.”  
“Oh I’m sure,” she said. “I meant that Robin had him let you pull it. You definitely made an impression.”  
“I guess so. He apparently couldn’t wait until after the show to talk to me.”  
Regina turned back to the show to see what would come next. After another mirror that showed contorted reflections, and one involving cards that allowed someone from the audience to participate, it was time for the finale Robin promised.  
Robin wheeled out something resembling a cot and laid down on it. Gwydion stepped forward, covered Robin with some kind of blanket, and pulled out a long sword.  
“And now Ladies and Gentlemen, for my last trick, I will saw this man in half!”   
“What!” Regina whispered to Tinkerbell, half shocked.  
“It’s just a trick.”  
“Yeah, one that could go seriously wrong, how is he doing that?”  
“I can’t tell, if you want I can make myself small and go see,” she whispered back, looking amused.  
“No,” Regina whispered, taking a deep breath to stop her knee jerk reaction. “He wouldn’t just kill an assistant for a trick.”  
Gwydion raised his sword over Robin’s body and the audience gave a collective gasp. He brought the sword down and it seemed like both Robin and the table were cut in half, but there was no blood. He pulled the table apart and Regina reminded herself again that it wasn’t real.   
After the crowd finished freaking out, Gwydion put the table back together and Robin hopped off to take a bow. The village square erupted in relieved cheers and Regina couldn’t help but laugh at the satisfied grin on Robin’s face.   
“That was actually pretty good. I kind of want to find out what type of magic he was using,” Tinkerbell said as they moved away from the staging area with the crowd.  
“Yeah if there had been blood I would have been convinced Robin actually had been cut in half.”  
They walked slowly, waiting for the crowd to thin out. Some of the women gave Regina smiles and thumbs up as they passed her. Even a few of the men looked at her admiringly.  
As the crowd thinned out, Regina saw Little John carrying his collecting tin.  
“That’s his friend, John,” she pointed out to Tinkerbell, picking up her pace to approach him.  
“Hello John,” she said as she came up beside him.  
“Regina,” he said, turning to see her. “Good job with the sword,” he complimented.  
“Thank you,” she said. “Is Robin here?”  
“He’s somewhere around here. Probably fighting off people trying to get him to tell how that trick worked.”  
“It was very convincing,” Tinkerbell said.  
“I know, even I was almost convinced,” John joked. “Oh, there’s Robin, he’s coming now. I’ll leave you to him,” he winked and began walking towards Will Scarlet, whom Regina saw up the road a bit.  
Robin was crossing the road, waving to a few of Gwydion’s fans as he went. Regina and Tinkerbell moved to the side with John so they could talk.  
“So did you enjoy the rest of the show?” Robin asked, excitedly.  
“Yes,” Regina said, unable to stop smiling in his presence. “We were just saying how convincing the final trick was,” she continued, gesturing to her new friend and remembering her manners. “Robin Hood, Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell, Robin Hood.”  
“Pleasure to meet you,” Tinkerbell said, smiling.  
“You as well. I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”  
“The only thing missing was making someone disappear,” she joked.   
Robin laughed.  
“I’m sure we’ll try that one at some point.”  
The three of them started walking up the road, back toward the tavern they’d met in the previous night. Regina saw John and Will go in ahead of them and it seemed Tinkerbell did too because she suddenly said.  
“I could do with a cold one. Regina, just meet me back here alright,” she said, walking into the tavern.  
She didn’t give Regina any time to protest and Regina found she was glad of an excuse to talk to him alone again. They didn’t talk too much at first, just continued walking up the road towards the woods again.  
“So,” Regina said as they were walking, but found her nerves getting the better of her again and forgot what she wanted to say. She could kick herself for being such a cliché.  
“So,” Robin repeated with a small laugh. “I really am glad you came today. I wanted to see you at least one more time here.”  
“Here?” Regina asked, turning to him as they reached the woods.  
“Yes,” he said, as he moved to sit on a large fallen down tree. She sat down next to him, curious.  
“Gwydion told us this morning that we’re moving on. He’s lined up some other shows throughout the region, so we’ll be heading out tomorrow.”  
“Oh, really?” Regina said, trying not to sound disappointed for him.  
“Yeah, I was hoping we might be going in the same direction,” he said, looking her in the eye. “We’re headed towards Midas’ kingdom.  
Regina suddenly remembered the lie she had told the night before about moving around.   
“Well,” she asked, trying to phrase it carefully. “Actually, Tinkerbell and I might stay around here for a time.”  
“Oh,” he said, sounding even more disappointed than she expected. “I didn’t realize you were traveling with someone.”  
“Yes, I know,” she said, trying to come up with an excuse. “I wasn’t. She’s an old friend I’ve been staying with. Last night she was out with someone, that’s why I was out alone. But she’s invited me to stay a bit longer to figure some things out, so I decided to stay for awhile.”  
“Well, I won’t lie I was hoping to convince you to come along with us,” he said, continuing to look at her with hopeful eyes.  
“That sounds lovely,” she said honestly. “But I don’t think I can do that right now.” It was one thing to disappear for part of a day or night, but disappearing completely wasn’t an option for her.  
“Are you sure?” he asked.  
“Yes,” she said reluctantly. “But, that doesn’t mean we’ll never see each other,” she said, more lightly.  
“How?”  
“Well, your magician doesn’t reveal his secrets, and I don’t reveal mine,” she said, trying to half joke. “But I know I’ll be able to find you again, if you want me too.”  
He looked a bit perplexed, but nodded.  
“I do.”  
“Then I promise I’ll find you again. You can probably even send a bird message to let me know where you are,” she said quickly, before realizing she might have made an error.  
“So, I can just send a bird here?” he asked. “Do you have one?”  
She had to think quickly. She did have birds she could use, but he couldn’t know where she was.  
“When I get back,” she started. “I’ll send you one here so it will know who you are. Then, that same bird will be able to find you when you leave. I promise I’ll be able to find you.”  
“I hope so,” he said leaning in closer. “I’d hate to think this would be the last time I’d see you.”  
“I know,” Regina said, also leaning in closer. His lips were close enough to touch and she allowed him to kiss her. It lasted longer than the one they had shared last night. Regina moved her arms to wrap around him and felt him embrace her back.  
“I would also hate to think that this was the last kiss we’d share,” he said with a smile after the broke away.  
“It won’t,” she said, leaning in to kiss him again.  
***  
And it wasn’t. Robin was pleased to see when he received a message from a crow the next day. He wrote back when they were at their next stop and Regina showed up to see them. Over the next few weeks, she often seemed to just turn up wherever they were, sometimes with her friend Tinkerbell in tow, sometimes alone. They would stay together for hours until she had to head back.  
Robin hadn’t ever thought he could fall in love so fast, but every time she said goodbye he wanted to ask her to stay again. He didn’t though. He was confident enough that if she wanted to stay and travel the kingdoms with him, she would let him know, so he didn’t broach it again. He just enjoyed spending time with her while he could and hoped she’d want to leave someday.  
After the first few times she’d found him, Will had seemed suspicious and broached the subject with Robin.  
“Robin, mate, how is it she knows exactly where to find us, every time? I mean, she shows us even when you haven’t sent her another message,” he said over drinks one night.   
“It’s not like we moved very far, Will, it was only the next village. Plus, I told her that’s probably where we’d be next,” Robin answered.  
“I don’t know mate, something’s funny about the whole thing,” he said.  
“Will…” Robin started, looking annoyed.  
“Look Robin, he’s got a point,” Little John chimed in. “She seems nice enough, don’t get me wrong, and she obviously likes you. But first she says she’s traveling, then she decides to stay put, but comes and finds you everywhere we stop? Will’s right, it seems odd.”  
“Not everyone wants to travel and move around all the time the same way we do,” Robin defended her. “She wasn’t necessarily doing it out of choice and when she found a place she could stay awhile she took it.”   
“Maybe,” Will said. “But you should find out more.”  
Robin was about to retort again when Gwydion ran in, excited about something.  
“Careful Gwydion, we need you upright for tomorrow’s performance.”  
“Gentlemen, we’re going to strike gold!” he announced, ignoring Will’s warning.  
“What’s going on?” Robin asked, curious.  
“I just received an invitation from King Leopold! Apparently he and his daughter saw a bit of one of our performances when they traveled through Midas’ kingdom. The princess wants me to perform for her birthday!”  
“That’s amazing!” Little John exclaimed.  
“We’ll be rich after that!” Will said, happily.  
“More than rich, we’ll be know,” Robin said.   
“Exactly, if it goes well, I could be the most sought after magician in all the lands. An audience with a King on request! So, eat well and rest up, we’ll start heading toward his Palace in the morning.”  
With that, he ran back out as excitedly as he came in.  
“Okay, who would have thought when we started this we’d be performing at a palace someday?” Robin asked, taking another swig of beer.   
“I didn’t, although now I’m wondering if I can get a crack at the crown jewels while we’re there,” Will said, suddenly contemplative.  
“Will, we don’t all want to risk execution, try that on your own time,” Little John cautioned.  
“True, and after this performance I’ll know how to get in,” Will replied.  
Robin and John laughed harder and ordered more beer to celebrate.  
***  
Three days later they approached the palace gates. Robin had sent Regina word that they’d be performing in Leopold’s kingdom if she wanted to join them. He didn’t tell her it was at the palace though, as he wanted that to be a surprise. He knew it was probably stupid, but he did want her to be impressed. He hadn’t heard from her yet though so maybe she couldn’t make it.  
They were greeted by the Palace butler at the gate and led up to a lovely courtyard.  
“His Majesty has offered you lodging overnight since you’ll be performing for the Princess,” the butler said.  
“That’s very generous,” Will commented, and Robin elbowed him when he started looking too eager.  
“Indeed,” the butler said, as though he disapproved of it but couldn’t speak ill of his employer.  
The King was in the courtyard, as was a young girl they all presumed to be Princess Snow White. She waved excitedly as they walked up and bowed to her father.  
“It’s an honor to be here, Your Majesty,” Gwydion greeted him graciously.  
“Nonsense,” the older man said with a smile. “It’s an honor to have you perform for my daughter’s birthday. She has talked of nothing else since we passed your performance in Midas’ lands. I’m looking forward to seeing the whole thing. And this is Snow, my daughter,” he continued, putting his hand on the young girl’s shoulder.  
“Hello,” she said sweetly.  
“Please, come with us,” King Leopold offered, starting to lead the way towards the palace entrance.  
As they walked through the courtyard, they saw a woman in a grand light blue gown standing at a large apple tree picking some of the fruit off of it. As they approached, King Leopold said,  
“And this is Regina, my wife, the Queen,” as the woman began to turn.  
Robin’s eyes widened as he heard the name ‘Regina,’ and the woman turned. The blood drained from her face as they stood before her. She seemed to recover herself quickly and said,  
“Hello, welcome.”  
Gwydion bowed down to her, oblivious to the other mens’ discomfort. Robin unwillingly bowed next to Will and Little John, knowing it would cause a ruckus if they didn’t.  
“I told something was off, mate,” Will said, sympathetically as their heads were down.  
Robin didn’t answer, simply looked her in the eye as he picked his head back up. Regina looked extremely uncomfortable and a million thoughts raged through his head. One thing was clear, Will had in fact been right.   
And he had been played for a fool.


	4. The Confession

CHAPTER THREE  
Regina felt her breath hitch as Robin, John, and Will bowed before her. This was something she never wanted to see. And the look in his eyes as he looked up at her almost choked her. His eyes were dark with betrayal. She’d worn that look herself, when Snow had admitted telling Cora about Daniel. She tried to give him a silent and pleading look, hoping he’d understand, but he looked away.  
“Well, everyone, let’s come inside,” King Leopold said, gesturing for Regina to walk with him, so they’d look like a regular married couple. He was always determined to keep up the farce of their supposed ‘marriage,’ and this time was unaware that there were people who already knew something was wrong.  
They walked into the Great Hall towards their thrones, although they didn’t sit. The king turned to face his guests, and Regina tried to subtly catch Robin’s eyes, but he was determined not to look at her it seemed.   
“Snow, darling, you should go get ready for dinner, and we can let our guests change and freshen up.”  
“Regina,” the girl turned to her with a bright smile. Regina attempted to smile back at her, but she could feel it looked forced. “Will you come and help me pick out a dress?” she asked, hopefully.   
Normally Regina would have tried to make some excuse, but it was a perfect escape for now. She needed to regroup.  
“Sure, dear, let’s go,” she said, ducking out and following her step daughter from the Great Hall.  
Snow chattered about her excitement for the show all the way up the long stone stairs to her room. Thankfully, as usual, the child was so involved in hearing herself talk, that she didn’t seem to notice her step-mother’s lack of attention. It wasn’t until Snow was actually trying on gowns that Regina couldn’t stare off into space any more.   
Snow tried on gown after gown, asking Regina her opinion on each one.  
“Snow, they all look beautiful, just a pick a color you want,” Regina said, somewhat exasperated.  
“I can’t decide, you pick,” Snow said, eagerly.  
Regina found herself smiling at her step-daughter’s enthusiasm, which surprised her. She couldn’t remember naturally smiling at Snow since Daniel’s murder. But since she’d been getting out of the palace and spending time with Robin, she hadn’t felt as angry all the time. Maybe it was because she’d had something to look forward to, or Robin had had more of an impact than she thought. Either way, while she still didn’t necessarily want to be around Snow all the time, she didn’t imagine killing her whenever she was nearby any more.  
“The pink dress looks lovely, why don’t you wear that one?” she suggested. Snow’s eyes lit up with more excitement.  
“Okay! I will. What are you going to wear?” she asked.  
“I’m sure I’ll find something,” Regina said, getting up. “Now, ring Johanna to help you finish getting ready.”  
“You should wear red,” Snow suggested. “You always look so beautiful in red.”  
“Maybe I will,” Regina said, smiling softly back at her.  
When she got back to her chambers, she considered ringing her maid as she normally would to help her dress, but there was a knock on her door.  
“Regina?” a man’s voice called through. It was her father.  
“Hi Daddy,” she said, as she opened the door to let him in.   
“Is everything alright?” he asked, looking concerned. “You seemed out of sorts earlier in the courtyard.”  
She suddenly remembered he’d been standing near her by the tree when Robin and the others walked in.  
“No, everything’s fine,” she lied as they walked into her rooms together.  
“Regina, my dear, please tell me what’s going on,” her father pleaded. “Do you know those men?” he asked, clearly confused.  
“Why do you think that?” she asked, turning to him as she sat on her sofa.   
“You’ve disappeared a lot lately and you won’t tell me where you’ve been going,” Henry said, sounding concerned. “So, do you know those men?”  
Regina looked at her knees for a moment, and decided to tell her father the truth.  
“Yes, I know them. I met them in a tavern one night about a month ago, and I’ve been spending time with Robin ever since.”  
Her father sat down next to her, looking perplexed.  
“When did you go to a tavern? And how did you go alone?”  
“It’s a long story,” Regina sighed. “And I have to get ready for dinner.”  
“Regina, honey,” he began, taking her hand. “Is he important to you?”  
“Yes,” she said. “But he’s probably very angry right now.”  
“Regina!” Tinkerbell’s voice echoed as she flew over the balcony into the bed chamber. She made herself big when she was near the sofa. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you had company.  
“Tinkerbell, this is my father, Henry. Daddy, this is Tinkerbell. She’s the reason I met Robin.”  
“You know about her and Robin?” Tinkerbell asked, surprised.  
“Well, I’m just starting to,” Henry said.  
“He’s here Tinkerbell. The king hired Gwydion for Snow’s birthday and he, Will and John are with him.”  
“Oh, and you still hadn’t told him the truth,” Tinkerbell said, uncomfortably.  
“Yeah, and I didn’t realize who the king had actually hired, so I had no idea he’d be coming,” Regina said, talking faster in frustration.  
“Okay,” Tinkerbell said. “Well, he’s here now, so you’ll have to talk to him.”  
“I don’t think he wants to talk to me,” Regina said. “He looked so furious, I can only imagine what he’s thinking.”  
“Well, we’ll think of something,” Tinkerbell assured her.  
“I hope you do,” Henry said, although he looked uncomfortable.   
“You do?” Regina asked.  
“Yes. Because ever since you’ve started disappearing, you’ve seemed better. Even happier. And I want you to be happy Regina. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, and I know you haven’t been since Daniel. So if this man is making you happy, fight for him. If he cares for you, and he really is right for you, he’ll understand what you’ve been through,” Henry said, suddenly determined.  
“He’s right Regina, when he gets over the shock and listens, he will understand,” Tinkerbell said, sitting on her other side and taking her other hand.  
“Okay,” Regina said, taking a deep breath and standing up. “You’re right.”  
The gong sounded, which usually signaled to dress for dinner, but today signaled the time of the show. Regina sighed.  
“Well, I have to get dressed for dinner. I guess I’ll try to get him alone afterwards or something. Now, I need to find something to wear to this thing.”  
“Do you want me to fetch your maid?” Henry asked, also standing up.  
“Sure, thank you, Daddy,” she said, absent mindedly.  
Her father left and she walked over to her wardrobe, and searched through her gowns.   
“You should try something other than these big gowns,” Tinkerbell suggested, looking inside from behind you. “Don’t get me wrong, some of these are beautiful, but you should try something a bit more…enticing.”  
“Enticing?” Regina said, confused but somewhat intrigued by the suggestion.  
“Something Robin may have a hard time looking away from,” Tinkerbell said with a wink.   
“Oh,” Regina said, a smirk growing on her face. “I don’t know if I have anything would have that effect.”   
Tinkerbell excitedly waved her wand and green sparks floated around Regina for a moment.  
“Oh, perfect!” the fairy exclaimed. “Go look in the mirror!”  
Regina walked over to her vanity, and almost couldn’t believe what she saw. Tinkerbell had put her in a deep burgundy dress that was form fitting and made of velvet. Her hair was in a half up do and curled.  
“Wow,” Regina breathed as she looked at herself in the mirror.  
“That’s what he and the rest will say,” Tinkerbell said, enthusiastically. She turned to the mirror and said in a dramatic voice. “Mirror mirror on the wall, whose the fairest of us all? Regina.”  
Regina couldn’t help but let out a laugh.  
“Well, I only know one thing about this dress,” she said, getting a satisfied look on her face. “My so-called husband will absolutely hate it. So if nothing else, there’s that.”  
There was a knock on the door and Regina’s maid stepped in the door way. Tinkerbell quickly made herself small and hid in the wardrobe.  
“You summoned, Your Majesty?” Madge said, looking at her Queen in surprise.   
“Oh, I’m sorry Madge,” Regina said, enjoying the look of shock on the young women’s face. “I meant to call you off, I’m ready. If they ask, I’ll be down momentarily.”  
“Very good, Your Majesty,” she said, practically sprinting out of the room.  
Tinkerbell flew out of the wardrobe, laughing.  
“Well, good luck,” she said, smiling. “I’ll come back tomorrow and you can tell me all about it.”  
Regina agreed as her friend flew from her window. She took one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath, and walked from her chambers down towards the Great Hall.   
She tried not to laugh when she heard everyone sucking in their breaths as she walked in. She looked up as she moved towards her place at the table and saw Snow’s eyes wide and the king’s looking irritated. As she took her seat, she turned her gaze to their guests. Robin, Will, John, and Gwydion all seemed to be doing their best not to stare too openly. Regina tried to catch Robin’s eye but he looked away as soon as she did. She knew she couldn’t be too obvious or the King would suspect. He was still glaring at her from across the table when she looked back and Regina stared at him defiantly.   
Snow White broke the awkward silence, recovering from Regina’s dress choice quickly.   
“Gwydion, can you tell me some of the tricks, you’re going to do tomorrow?” She asked excitedly.  
Gwydion smiled at the princess.  
“Well, if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore would it?” he said, pleasantly.  
“Oh, please,” she begged, much to the amusement of her father and the staff. Regina rolled her eyes.  
“I can promise you Your Highness, it’ll be a show you and your guests will remember,” Gwydion said firmly but with a smile.  
“Will one of you tell me?” Snow asked, now addressing the three assistants.  
The three of them all shook their heads, looking slightly uncomfortable to have been asked something by a princess that was in direct defiance of their employer.  
“Sorry, lass,” Will said. “We can’t reveal anything.”  
“Aw, but…”  
“Snow, enough,” Regina said, firmly.   
The girl looked to her step-mother, seeming surprised.   
“They told you they can’t tell you their secrets,” Regina began before the king could intervene. “Respect that and be patient for the show tomorrow. You’ll see it all then.”  
When Regina said the word, ‘secrets,’ Snow looked at her oddly, as though she knew it meant something more but couldn’t put her finger on it. Regina didn’t worry about it; she had other things on her mind and really just wanted the girl to stop talking so she could find a way to silently communicate with Robin. But he was still avoiding her, looking at his plate for most of the meal.  
She tried to catch him on the way out of the Hall after dinner ended, but he quickly rushed out, as did both John and Will. They were headed to their rooms, and the bachelor’s corridor wasn’t an area she could really be seen going to alone without rousing suspicion.  
Regina took the velvet dress off that had failed her sadly. She still liked it, but it hadn’t had the effect of getting Robin’s attention that she’d hoped. Then again, she’d only worn another dress around him once and that was her white one from the night they met. All other times she’d basically worn riding clothes, and he’d never once seemed to find her unattractive. Was it possible he liked it better when she wasn’t trying?  
As she put her night clothes on, she heard the door to her chambers open.   
“Daddy?” she called out, since he was the only person in the palace allowed in her room without an express invitation. After her wedding she’d given strict orders for the servants to never enter her rooms unless she summoned them first.  
But when the door to her bed chamber opened, it wasn’t her father who came in. It was the one person who she wasn’t actually able to forbid entrance to her rooms. The king.  
Regina quickly grabbed her blanket to finish covering herself up. If there was one man she never wanted to look vulnerable in front of, it was the king.   
“What are you doing in here?” she demanded, trying to keep her voice firm. “I want you to leave.”  
“Not until I know exactly what you thought you were doing tonight.”  
“Having dinner with your guests,” Regina said sarcastically. “At your insistence, might I add.”  
“So you decide to dress like a whore and make a mockery of me?” he said, anger in his eyes although his voice remained calm. “Do you know what those men were probably thinking?”  
“More than you do I’m sure,” Regina mumbled under a breath. The king seemed to have gotten the gist of it though.  
“And you’d still let them look at you like that? You’re MY wife, you have no right to let them look at you like that.”  
Regina simply stared at him, seething as he went on like she was simply an expensive wall ornament that only he was allowed to look at on the rare occasion he decided too.  
“You don’t look at me anyway so I don’t see the difference,” she said, with as much spite as she could muster. It was actually more than she thought, even if her anger had slowly been dissipating for awhile.  
Her disappointed husband looked slightly taken aback and didn’t seem to have an answer to that.  
“Well,” he said, trying to recover. “You won’t be ordering any more clothes without my approval first. And you’ll stay in your rooms tomorrow if you can’t dress appropriately for my daughter’s birthday.”  
“Fine,” Regina said in a flat tone. If he thought not having to spend time with his insipid daughter was a punishment she wasn’t going to correct him. “If that’s what you think would be best for her.”  
He walked out of her chambers, and Regina heard him say to the guards,  
“Make sure she stays in her chambers, until I tell you otherwise.”  
“Of course, Your Majesty,” one of them answered.  
Regina seethed internally and was tempted to try to use magic against them. She stopped herself and put her blanket back on her bed. Suddenly some green sparks flew over to her and then Tinkerbell made herself big. She had a concerned look on her face.  
“God, he’s a piece of work, isn’t he?” she asked, as she sat down on Regina’s bed.  
“Whenever he bothers to look my way, yes,” Regina agreed. “And now I’m basically confined in here.”  
“I’m sorry, I thought it was a good idea,” Tinkerbell said. “I didn’t realize what your husband was really like.”  
“I know,” Regina said. “The dress didn’t quite work anyway. Robin did look at me, but then avoided my eyes for the rest of dinner. He doesn’t want to talk to me,” she continued sadly.  
Tinkerbell smiled, and took Regina’s hand.  
“Actually, that’s a good thing. The fact that he wasn’t immediately enthralled against just because you were wearing something sexy, means he really feels something for you.”  
“Wait,” Regina said, holding her other hand up. “You didn’t tell me to do that because you wanted me to get his attention?”  
“I wanted to see how deep his feelings are for you at this point,” she explained. “You may be soul mates, but true love takes longer. If he’s hurt, it means he cares. But, now you have to ease the pain and talk to him.”  
“Okay, but how can I talk to him if he won’t even look me in the eye?” Regina asked, worried by his aversion more now. “Plus, getting him alone won’t be easy if I can’t even leave my chambers.”  
“Oh, come on, you know I’ll help you with that. Plus, you know some magic, don’t you know how to transport yourself?”  
“No, I hadn’t gotten that far in my lessons,” Regina said, again wondering if quitting her magic lessons was a hasty decision.  
“But you know where he’ll be sleeping?”  
“Yes, he and the others will be in the bachelor’s corridor, which is a long way from my chambers, and the guards are under orders not to let me leave,” Regina said, frustrated.  
“Okay,” Tinkerbell said, taking a moment to think. “I can put the guards to sleep so you can get there without interruption.”  
“Thank you,” Regina said, taking a deep breath and standing up. “Do you think he’ll forgive me?” she said, as she grabbed her dressing gown.  
“Just be honest with him. Let him understand everything, and see what happens,” she said, smiling and standing up.  
Together they walked towards the doors and slowly opened the doors. One of the guards turned as he heard the door open, but Tinkerbell was quick and they were both down instantly.  
“Okay, that should last an hour or so,” Tinkerbell said.   
“Only that long?” Regina said, worried she’d need longer.  
“I can stick around and put them back to sleep if they start waking up before you get back. And take some of this dust with you in case you run into anyone else. Now go see him and fix this!” Tinkerbell whispered urgently, putting a vial in Regina’s hand.  
Regina nodded, and started walking through the dark palace. She had explored the entire palace when she first arrived, mostly trying to find possible escape routes. And while she knew it pretty well, there were certain areas she had never been to a second time because they had proven useless to her.   
One of those areas was the bachelor’s corridor. She had never had another reason to venture their again, and it was very far from where any women would be sleeping, which was by design. So, it took her nearly thirty minutes just to find her way there, and she praised Tinkerbell in her head for being a good enough friend to stay with the guards to keep them asleep. Luckily, most of the servants must have been having their late dinner downstairs, since she didn’t need to use the sleeping powder on anyone.  
When she arrived, after trying to remember which paintings and tapestries she passed so she could find her way back, Regina then had to figure out which room Robin had been given. If she guessed wrong, she hoped that the others would at least keep quiet about her coming there.   
All the doors looked the same, and there was no way to tell who was in which room. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to use magic if she could avoid it, that path was one she wanted to avoid going down any further.   
‘This is stupid,’ she thought to herself. ‘You’re going to have to just pick one.’   
But she didn’t immediately move. She studied the doors, trying to focus and decide. After a moment, the second door on the left seemed to stand out.   
‘Well, if we’re supposed to be soul mates, maybe I can sense him,’ she thought, walking to the door. She slowly opened it, and walked in.  
Robin was awake and sitting on the bed when she walked in. His head turned quickly and his eyes widened as she entered and closed the door.  
“What are you…?” he started to ask.  
“Please, I just want to talk,” she said, desperately.   
“About your lies?” he said in a guarded voice.  
“Yes, but they weren’t all lies, not really,” she said, walking towards him.  
Robin shook his head, an irritated and distrustful look on his face.  
“Conveniently leaving out the fact that you were a queen is a pretty big lie to me,” he said. “For all I know, you were just trying to get in so you could arrest common thieves or something. Although admittedly, I guess you could have done that after the first night,” he continued, as though he’d been giving this thought all evening.   
Regina shook her head.  
“I just couldn’t tell you who I really was,” she said, sitting down on the bed. “I couldn’t tell anyone. And, I wanted…I wanted you to know me, before you met the Queen. I wasn’t going to keep it a secret forever. I just needed time to figure things out.”  
“Weren’t you?” he asked.  
“What do you mean?” she asked.  
“I mean, it seems like you had the best of both worlds. You got to go out in disguise and have a good time playing pretend. Then you’d go back to this lap of luxury you live in. Sounds like a good way to live a double life,” he said, looking her in the eyes.   
“You don’t understand,” Regina said in a pleading voice. “Please, just hear me out. I’ll tell you everything. After that,” she paused, feeling herself get choked up at the idea. “After that, if you don’t want to see me again, I promise you won’t.”  
He stared at her for a moment, considering it, and then nodded.  
“Alright,” he said. “Tell me the truth.”  
She took a deep breath and decided just to start at the beginning, with her mother.  
“When I told you my mother tried to force me into a marriage I didn’t want, I was telling the truth,” she said. Robin nodded, but still looked defensive. “And when I told you the only way out was to leave, that was the truth.”  
“Alright,” Robin said, listening cautiously. “So she forced you to marry King Leopold?”  
“Yes. He proposed after I saved Princess Snow’s life when her horse took off with her. My mother accepted for me, but I didn’t want to marry him,” she paused there, because she knew she’d have to talk about Daniel, which was painful. “She always wanted nothing more than for me to be a queen. But that wasn’t what I wanted. I was in love with someone else.”  
“Oh,” Robin said, his eyes narrowing slightly but he looked more interested than upset now.  
“Yes,” she continued, feeling tears well up in her eyes. “His name was Daniel. He worked in the stables, and I fell in love with him. And he loved me. He was willing to give up everything to be with me.”  
She stopped for a moment to wipe her eyes as her tears began falling. “The night the King proposed, I went to Daniel as soon as I could to tell him what happened. I even proposed to him, told him that the only way out was to run away together and never come back.”  
Robin’s face had softened, and he looked more concerned at where the story was going.  
“And you couldn’t be honest with your mother, and tell her you were in love with someone else, I’m guessing?” he asked, more gently.  
Regina shook her head, trying to keep her composure.   
“My mother was a very powerful sorceress. She often used her magic to try to control me. Even before the king proposed, I was afraid of what she might do if she found out. And that night, when I went to him, Daniel agreed we should leave and get married. He even pulled a saddle ring off one of our saddles and put it on my finger as a makeshift engagement ring, because there wasn’t enough time to get a real one.”  
“But your mother found out?” Robin asked.  
“Snow found us kissing in the stables, and then ran off. I went after her, and tried to explain that I wasn’t in love with her father. After we talked, she seemed to understand and promised she would keep my secret. I believed her.”  
“But she told?”  
Regina sobbed once at the memory. She looked away from Robin for a second to compose herself again. When she looked back, she saw he was already looking a bit horrified, as if he knew there was only one possible ending to this story.  
“She told. My mother got to her. And honestly, I’m convinced she’s responsible for Snow’s horse running off in the first place. So, Mother intercepted us on our way out of the stable. And at first, she acted like she was trying to understand,” here Regina felt herself getting choked up again and paused. “But it was just a trick. She ripped his heart out of his chest and crushed it. And after that, she started arranging my wedding and made sure I couldn’t get away. I tried, but she cast a spell so I could only leave the palace if the King was with me.”  
Suddenly, Robin looked confused.  
“Then, how were you able to come to the village in the first place?”  
Regina sighed, and continued.  
“I got desperate, so I took her spell book and got help from…from her old teacher. He sent me a large looking glass, and told me to give her a push. So I did, and now she’s trapped in another world. She can’t hurt me anymore.”  
“Okay,” Robin said. “Then why didn’t you leave then? Why would you stay?”  
Regina looked away, wondering if she wanted to admit to this.   
“This is the part I’m really not proud of,” she said, slowly.  
“You promised to be honest,” he reminded her. He then reached out his hand and put it over hers. It surprised her, but gave her the will to keep going.  
“I did,” she said, turning up her own hand up so she could grasp it. “I actually made to leave right after that. Then, that teacher intercepted me and offered to teach me more magic. The thing is, I loved it when I used it the first time. I felt like for once, I was in control. And he convinced me to learn more, so I could avenge Daniel’s death.”  
Robin nodded, still looking concerned but keeping his hand in hers.  
“Then one day, after stewing in the anger that kept growing, I fell from my balcony and was saved by a fairy. That’s Tinkerbell.”  
“Your friend?”  
“Yes, I met her right before I met you. She told me it was possible to find love a second time, that I didn’t have to be alone, miserable and angry for the rest of my life,” Regina wondered if she should tell him how she’d found him, and decided she may as well if she was being this honest. “She used pixie dust to help me find my soul mate. It led us to the tavern, and showed me someone whose back was to me.”  
Robin’s eyes widened as he started to comprehend what she was saying.   
“I didn’t see his face. But I did see his tattoo,” she said, using her other hand to point to the lion on his wrist. “I was too scared to approach you at first, and I almost left before I could meet you.”  
Robin nodded, as he looked like he was trying to digest the whole story.  
“I’m so glad I did meet you,” she said, a smile gracing her face for the first time since she had come in. “I didn’t really believe I could ever find someone again, but when I met you that changed.”  
He still didn’t speak, so she pressed on.  
“It doesn’t mean we have to be together,” she said, more nervously. “I told you, if you wanted me to leave you alone after this, I would. But you did deserve to know everything.”  
Robin looked down in uncertainty, and then back up at her. He squeezed her hand tighter.  
“Thank you for telling me all that,” he said. “I mean it, thank you.”  
“So…” Regina began nervously.  
“Well, it certainly explains why I felt so connected to you. It was almost instant,” he confessed.  
“Are you still angry?” she asked. “Because I promise you, my feelings for you are real.”  
He thought for a moment, and looked around the finery to avoid looking at her until he had an answer.  
“I’m not angry,” Robin said. “I understand that you’ve been through hell. I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me all of this during the time we spent together.”  
“I couldn’t just tell you I was the Queen. I was afraid you’d run, or think I was trying to pull something on you,” she tried to explain. “Plus, the wrong person hearing would have been a disaster.”  
“I guess it would have caused quite a scandal if people knew the Queen was going into taverns on her own,” Robin said.  
“More than that. Robin, if they find me in here, both of us would probably be dead. And it’s the same if people knew we’d been together before.”  
“It’s your home, can’t you go where you please?” he asked, confused. “You’re the Queen.”  
“I may be the Queen, but I’m a prisoner here. It’s a fancy prison, but it’s still a prison,” she explained, shaking her free hand in frustration. “The king’s my warden more than my husband. If he knew I was seeing anyone…well, I don’t really want to think what he’d do. I took the risk because I wanted you to know the truth.”  
“Thank you,” Robin said, sincerely. “I am glad you came tonight.”   
“So, where does this leave us?” Regina asked.  
Robin leaned back onto the headboard of the bed, and looked like he was contemplating.   
“I don’t know if I can go on the way we were,” he admitted.   
“Oh,” Regina said, looking away for a moment.  
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t go on,” he said.  
She looked at him again with hope in her eyes.  
“Really?” she asked, leaning closer.  
“Yes,” he answered, leaning back towards her. He kissed her lips softly. “We’ll have to figure something out.”  
“Yes,” she whispered back, pecking his lips again.  
“But for now, you should probably get back before anyone notices you’re gone,” he said.  
“Yes,” she agreed. “The servants should be done by now.”  
“I’ll see you tomorrow at the show?” he asked, as she stood up to leave.  
“Yes,” she said. She knew the King wouldn’t actually stop her from going if Snow saw her first.  
“Good night, Regina,” he said, smiling softly at her.  
“Good night, Robin,” she said, shutting the door and walking back down the corridor.  
When she got back to her chambers, Tinkerbell was sitting outside with two sleeping guards next to her.  
“Must have been a good talk,” she whispered as they walked back inside her chambers. “You were gone for hours, I was getting bored.”  
“Thank you so much for staying,” Regina said. “And yes, it was a good talk.”  
“So everything’s still on?” Tinkerbell asked excitedly.  
“Yes,” Regina said. “I don’t know exactly how, but we’re going to work something out.”  
“Well, you know I’ll always help you two find each other. I can always bring him here,” she offered.  
“Thank you,” Regina said smiling.  
“Well for now, I’m headed out. You should sleep if you want to stay awake for him tomorrow.”  
Regina smiled and nodded. Tinkerbell made herself small and flew out the window. Regina climbed into her bed and fell asleep, feeling more relaxed and content than she had been since before Daniel’s murder. Things may finally be going her way.


	5. The Magic Show

CHAPTER FOUR  
The morning of Snow’s birthday was incredibly hectic. The servants were hustling to make sure everything was ready in time for the gates to open so the public could come to the show.   
Regina took her breakfast in her bed chamber as she usually did. As happy as she was that things might just work between her and Robin, and as much as she would have liked to join him and the rest for breakfast, it wouldn’t be wise to make the king any more suspicious or angry. When she was finished eating, her maid helped her into a shimmery forest green gown that had jewels around the neckline. She decided to continue the half up do for her hair, as it had been so well received the previous night and the king didn’t seem to have a problem with that.  
The weather was surprisingly nice and sunny for winter day. Everyone was bundled up, but no one was shivering as guests moved into the courtyard where the staging area was set up. Since Snow had insisted the people be able to join the celebration, it had to be out of doors.  
Regina, Snow, and the King were seated at their usual event seats up high. Some other royals and nobles who had come to visit were in the higher seats, while villagers and farmers mingled with the servants on the ground.  
Snow was bouncing up and down in her seat with anticipation as Regina ascended the stairs to take her seat. She avoided his gaze, but still noticed him give her gown a once over. When he couldn’t seem to find anything wrong with it, he looked towards the staging area again. Snow leaned over her father to talk to her step-mother.  
“Regina, do you think he’d pick me to assist?” She asked, eagerly.  
“Well, it is you birthday, I’m sure if you volunteer, he’ll pick you,” Regina answered, looking out to see Robin and the others getting ready.  
Many of Gwydion’s most popular illusions were still in the act. This time, Little John helped with the mirror illusion, which Regina had to admit still impressed her the second time. She really couldn’t tell how he was doing it, although she was sure Tinkerbell could figure it out.  
During the tree trick, Snow got even more excited. She leaned over to Regina and said,  
“It almost looks like your tree!”  
“Yes,” Regina whispered. “I suppose it does.”  
At the very least, Gwydion managed to show a tree of a similar size with the same apples.  
Regina then watched as Will took a turn being sawed in half. He took it a step further than Robin and pretended he was in pain. This got a mixture of shocked and amused reactions. Regina saw Robin’s amused expression. His eye caught hers and she smirked back.   
Then it was time for the trick that Gwydion liked for the audience to participate in. He asked for volunteers from the audience and Snow put her hand up. Gwydion saw her and said,  
“Yes, of course, Your Highness. But since you are the guest of honor, you shall go last. But come down so you’re ready for your turn,” he said, cheerfully.  
The princess hopped up from her seat and went down the stairs to courtyard. The people clapped as she went down to wait her turn. Regina already knew what Gwydion’s plan was, so she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Gwydion selected a few young men and women to go before her.  
“You’ve all heard the legend of Excalibur, a sword stuck in a stone that only the purest and heroic heart could free. Well, let’s see who has that heart!”  
Gwydion pulled out his intricate sword and slowly stuck it to the ground, and when he let go, it stayed where it was. It never penetrated the dirt, merely met it. The crowd gasped in awe when the sword didn’t move.  
“You first,” he said to the first young man, who came forward eagerly.   
As Regina suspected, none of the men or women volunteers were able to pull the sword, although some put up valiant efforts. Some laughed it off, while others looked embarrassed. Then, it was down to Princess Snow White.  
“And now Your Highness, let’s see if you can pull the sword from the ground,” he summoned her forward.  
The girl looked a bit nervous now, since everyone else had failed, but she still wore an excited smile. She walked over to pull it and after a few tugs the sword was free of whatever method Gwydion used to anchor it.  
The crowd burst into cheers, and the King clapped with a proud smile. Regina didn’t move at first, but as she felt the King’s eye move towards her, she started to politely clap to save face.   
“The Princess has the heart and soul of a hero!” Gwydion shouted to the crowd who cheered louder. Snow gave a small curtsy, and the crowd laughed as it was the first time a royal curtsied to them rather than the other way around. “And Your Highness, I have just one more request of you,” he continued with a wide smile.  
“Yes?”  
“I want you to do me the honor, of choosing the person who shall assist me in my next trick,” he said.  
“Oh, I will,” Snow volunteered and the crowd laughed again, pleasantly.   
“And I’m sure you’d be marvelous,” Gwydion said. “But, I do have one rule, no one gets to volunteer more than once. But you can pick someone to help.”  
Several people in the crowd began putting up their hands eagerly, probably slightly more eager to be picked by the princess than to actually assist with the illusion. Snow looked around at the crowd, and then up at the seats. Regina realized what was happening before the girl spoke, but there was no way to stop her.  
“Regina! I choose you!” She said, pointing up at the royal box.  
Regina sighed, but didn’t move for a moment. The crowd seemed surprised as they followed Snow’s pointing towards their Queen. Gwydion also seemed surprised, but recovered himself quickly.  
“It would be an honor, Your Majesty,” he said, humbly, kneeling down.  
She looked to the King, almost hoping he’d refuse, but he simply nodded and gestured for her to go down. Of course, whatever his daughter wanted, she’d get.  
Gwydion hadn’t seen Regina up close since the first time she participated in his show. She hoped he wouldn’t recognize her this time. She slowly began walking down the stairs and a hush fell over the crowd. Snow passed her on the stairs and said,  
“Good luck! It’s fun!”  
Regina forced a smile and nodded. As she walked towards Gwydion, his expression didn’t change. He didn’t recognize her it seemed. Regina relaxed, and allowed herself to smile for the crowd, who started slowly clapping as Gwydion bowed to her.  
“This is a new illusion I’ve only recently managed, but it’s one many people have requested. I felt it only fitting to try it for the Princess’ birthday,” he began.  
The crowd began murmuring excitedly.  
“I shall make the Queen disappear, and then reappear.” He announced, and another hush fell over the crowd.  
Regina remembered Tinkerbell suggesting that to Robin. Apparently she hadn’t been the only one.   
Robin stepped forward, carrying a chair and what looked like a large cloak, and they both tried not to gaze at each other too long. He did get a small grin in, which she had to fight not to return.  
“Your Majesty, if you could take a seat here,” Gwydion gestured to the chair that Robin had put down.  
“Alright,” she said, moving to sit.   
“Now, if you could just keep still for a moment,” he said, taking the cloak from Robin. Then, he raised his voice so the audience could hear him. “I will now put this cloak over the Queen, and when I remove it she will be gone.”   
He put the cloak on top of her and couldn’t see for a moment. When it was taken off, at first she thought the magician might have failed miserably. But she turned her head and looked around at the crowd, who were straining their necks to see something. She looked up to see Snow doing similar from the royal box.   
‘They can’t see me,’ she realized. ‘It must be a cloaking spell or something.’  
“And now,” Gwydion said. “I’ll put the cloak back on, and she will return to us.”  
The cloak was thrown back over her. A moment later it was taken off and the audience began cheering. She was clearly visible again, and allowed a smile to grace her face.   
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Gwydion said, bowing again.  
“My pleasure,” she said, loudly enough for people to hear.  
She walked back up the stairs as Gwydion enlisted Robin, Will, and John to collect tips as the show was over.   
“What happened Regina?” Snow asked eagerly when she came back up. Even her husband looked interested in what she had to say for once. “Where did you go?”  
Regina managed a small smile for her step-daughter.  
“Now Snow, the magician doesn’t want anyone revealing his secrets,” she said, emphasizing the word secrets slightly, unable to help herself. “We should respect that and enjoy his show.”  
Snow nodded, still smiling although not as gleefully.   
“Okay,” she agreed.  
***  
Later in the evening, there was the usual ball for the Princess’ birthday. Regina, as usual, sat in her usual place in the back of the ballroom. She’d never danced at one of them. The King never wanted to dance with her, always preferring to dance with his daughter. Even at their wedding, he couldn’t be bothered.  
So she sat, and watched everyone else have a good time dancing and eating. But this time, there was someone there who interested her. Robin was mingling with some guests who had been very impressed by the show. He’d looked her way several times, but every time he tried move her way he was approached by someone else. A few daughters of the noblemen were approaching him and she could tell they were flirting. She couldn’t help but glare at them, but she noticed Robin barely cared about them and looked over at her more often.   
Eventually, he managed to sidle his way next to her.  
“Milady,” he said, raising his glass to her as he stood by the side of her throne.  
“Don’t let anyone else hear you call me that here,” she said quietly, with a cheeky grin on her face.   
“Oh, so I do have to call you Your Majesty?” he asked, playfully.  
“Only in these areas, I promise,” she said.  
“I’m guessing I’m not allowed to ask you for a dance?” he asked, looking like he was really hoping for a yes, but was ultimately prepared for a no.  
“Not unless we want to attract attention,” Regina said, sadly.  
“True,” he said, regretfully. “But someday, we will dance together.”  
“Yes,” Regina said, smiling back. “And, you’d better move away, the servants will notice,” she said.  
“Alright,” he said, slowly backing away from her. “But may I see you tonight?”  
Regina nodded and pulled a piece of parchment out from the side of her throne. She’d been hiding it there hoping to give it to him.  
“This is a map of the palace,” she whispered, keeping her hand low to hand it off. “My chambers are marked. And that’s a sleeping powder for any guards you come across.”  
“Then I’ll see you tonight,” he said, smiling.  
“Yes,” she said. She noticed one of the footmen slowing down to look at them, and quickly straightened up. Robin took note and slowly moved away from her.  
The rest of the dance went along the same as it always did. When it was late enough that it was acceptable for people to begin leaving, Regina slipped out of the Great Hall and went back to her room. She made sure to catch Robin’s eye on the way out, so he’d know he could meet her.   
Her maid met her in her room and helped her out of the gown and corset.  
“You left early, Your Majesty?” she asked, as if that were an unusual occurrence.  
“It’s been a long day,” Regina offered by way of an excuse as she changed into her nightgown. “I’m exhausted.”  
“Well, I hope you’ll have a good night’s sleep.”  
“Thank you,” Regina answered. “Also, don’t come up here tomorrow until I ring for you, I may have a lie in.”  
“Very good Your Majesty,” she said, curtsying and leaving the room.  
Regina waited a few minutes and then poked her head out of the door. She was grateful the guards had not quite started their night duties, so they were still downstairs. She looked down the corridor that Robin would most likely come down, and it was only minutes later she saw him come around the corner. When he saw her he picked up his pace and she quickly ushered him inside and locked the doors.   
“I was starting to worry I’d gotten lost,” he admitted, leaning in to kiss her when she turned back from locking up.  
“I knew you’d find me,” she said, feeling giddy.   
“Are you sure this is safe?” he asked, with a slightly concerned look. “I mean, last night you said…”  
“And I was right, we are taking a risk,” she said. “But I’ve sent my maid away for the night and she won’t be back until I ring her tomorrow. No one else will have any reason to come in, so I think we’re safe.”  
“Good,” he said, a smile back on his face. “I just wouldn’t want you to get hurt because of me.”  
“Nor you for me,” she said, leaning in for another kiss.  
She started to lead him into her bed chamber, and he gazed around at the beautiful furniture and trappings that surrounded them.  
“So, this is where you live,” he said.  
“Yes,” she said, as they walked further in.  
“It’s quite grand,” he said. “Then again, I suppose it would have to be.”  
“It is grand. But, it’s not home, not really.”  
“It really doesn’t suit you,” he said.   
“Nothing here suits me,” she admitted, sitting down on her bed.   
He sat beside her, and took her hands in his.  
“So, we leave tomorrow. How exactly do you want to handle this?” he asked. “It feels wrong going on just as we did, although I wouldn’t mind you coming to visit me.”  
Regina nodded.  
“Tinkerbell doesn’t mind helping. She can bring us to each other wherever we are.”  
“Yes,” he agreed. “But, it is more difficult with me moving constantly.”  
“A little,” she admitted. “But I don’t mind. It’s better than nothing until we figure something else out, right?”  
“Of course. I’d rather that than not see you at all,” he admitted. “Maybe one day, we can change things for us.”  
“I wish I knew how,” Regina said, scooting closer to him. He put his arm around him. “I mean, it’s easy enough for me to disappear for a day, they won’t notice. But they will notice if the Queen goes missing for longer than that.”  
“We’ll find a way,” Robin said, determined. He kissed her again.  
“I know,” Regina said when they broke apart. “I’m just not a very patient person.”  
He laughed.  
“Well, in the meantime, I suggest we make the most of our time together,” he paused to kiss her lips again. She couldn’t help but smile into the kiss.  
“I think I can manage that at least,” she said, moving her arms around him as he lowered her body onto her bed.  
For one perfect night, nothing existed but the two of them.


	6. Making It Work

CHAPTER FIVE  
They slept late the next morning. Regina woke up slowly. She blinked her eyes open, but she felt so comfortable she didn’t want to move. As she woke up, she realized there was an arm around her and she started to remember everything that had happened last night. She smiled and turned over in her bed to see Robin sleeping peacefully next to her. His soft snores were still rhythmic so he wasn’t waking up yet.  
Regina judged by the sun outside that it was mid morning. She had told her maid that she wasn’t to be disturbed until she rang, no matter how late in the day it was, and it seemed so far the girl was respecting her wishes. Eventually they’d need to eat, but Regina decided not to worry about that just yet.  
Regina stayed snuggled under his arm for a few more minutes before she carefully got out of her bed. She didn’t want to wake him when he was still so peaceful. She went into her bath chamber to wash up, and then went to her vanity to brush her bed hair. When she was satisfied it no longer looked disheveled, she went to her wardrobe to find her white dress, one of the few garments she didn’t need assistance getting into.  
It was when she was finishing buttoning herself into the dress that Regina heard Robin’s soft snores stop and he stirred. He slowly raised his head and sat up to take in his surroundings. When his eyes landed on her, he smiled.  
“Good morning,” he said, softly.  
“Well look whose finally woken up,” she said, smiling back and coming over to sit on the edge of her bed.  
“I do apologize,” he said, sheepishly, moving his hand to touch hers. “But that was the best…sleep…I’ve had in a very long time.”  
Regina grinned.  
“I wish I could just take you to my camp and cook you some breakfast,” Robin said.  
“That does sound lovely,” Regina admitted. “Maybe someday.”  
“Yes,” he agreed, leaning up to kiss her.  
There was a knock on her chamber door, causing them both to jump.  
“I thought you said you had told your servants to stay away,” Robin said, his eyes widening.  
“I did,” Regina said, her heart starting to race. “Go into my bathing chamber while I see what’s going on, they’ll have no reason to go in there while I’m in the room.”  
Robin quickly got up, pulled his trousers back on and went over to the room she pointed to. Regina walked out of her bed chamber, through her living area, to her door.  
“I said I did not want to be disturbed this morning,” she said in her best stern voice.  
“It’s just me, Regina,” her father’s voice came from the outside.  
“Daddy?” she said, opening the door. He stood there alone, and for that she was glad.   
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I only came up because the princess was concerned when she heard you hadn’t come down yet.”  
“Oh, god,” Regina sighed. That girl could never leave well enough alone.  
“So I told her I would check before she decided to come up herself,” her father explained.  
“Just, well, tell her I’m alright, but a bit under the weather so I stayed in bed,” Regina offered. “But please make sure no one thinks they need to come in here.”  
“He’s with you isn’t he?” Henry said, looking slightly uncomfortable at the idea.  
“Yes,” Regina admitted, since he was the one person she trusted in the palace. “So, you understand why I can’t have anyone up here until later.”  
“Of course,” he said. “Can I be introduced at least?” he asked curiously, although hesitant.  
“What now?” Regina asked, incredulously.  
“Will I ever get another chance to meet the man who makes you smile again?” he asked softly, smiling.  
“Okay,” she said, smiling back. “Come in, Daddy.” She opened the door wider for him to enter. When the reentered her bed chamber, Regina said,  
“Robin, you can come out. It’s my father, he already knows.”  
Robin slowly walked out of her bath chamber. He had his shirt back on now, and looked both confused and apprehensive.  
“Hello,” he said.  
“Hello,” Henry responded.  
“Daddy, this is Robin. Robin, this is my father, Henry,” Regina introduced awkwardly.  
“It’s a pleasure,” Robin said, as though not sure it was.  
“It is,” Henry said with a warm smile. “My daughter has been so much happier than she’s met you. I just needed to put a face to the name. I’m in your debt.”  
“Well, she’s made me very happy too,” Robin said, relaxing.   
Regina smiled back at him.  
“I’m just glad we had a chance to be introduced,” Henry said. “But I better go back down, and tell Princess Snow that you’re fine and no one needs to come up here.”  
“Thank you,” Regina said gratefully.  
“But you know, you will have to come down at some point, or the king may decide to come up himself.”  
Regina sighed.  
“Tell them that I promise to be down to bid our guests farewell and for afternoon tea. That should satisfy him.”  
“Alright.”  
“We’ll probably be leaving within the next two hours or so,” Robin added.  
Henry nodded and took his leave politely.  
“I’m sorry,” Regina said, as she and Robin both approached her bed to sit down. “I hope that wasn’t too awkward.”  
“Well, I wasn’t expecting to meet your father today, but I’m glad he approves. Not that it should make a real difference but…”  
“No, I know what you mean. Actually he was the one who told me I should talk to you when you realized I was the Queen. He said if your feelings for me were real, you’d listen eventually.”  
“He’s a smart man,” Robin said.  
“Sometimes,” Regina said softly.   
They said nothing for a moment, and Regina laid her head on Robin’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her close. They sat together in silence for a few minutes and then Robin spoke up.  
“I guess I should find a way back to my room,” he said, regretfully.  
“I suppose,” Regina said, sadly. “I wish you could stay.”  
“Me too.”  
“And, I don’t want you to be seen coming out of here.”  
“Well, since it’s day time, I could just say I got lost trying to find my way back? It’s not unheard of in a place like this,” he said.  
“Maybe,” she said.  
“Or, I can take you!” A familiar cheerful voice offered. Tinkerbell flew into the room.  
“You’re back, already?” Regina said, although happy to see her friend.  
“Detour on the way back. Wanted to make sure you two were okay.”  
“We are,” Robin said, grinning. “I mean, this won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it.”  
“Yes,” Regina said, smiling up at him.  
“Well, let me take you back so no one catches you. You two lovebirds can see each other again soon enough.”  
Robin and Regina kissed each other quickly, and Robin stood up to go with Tinkerbell.   
“I’ll send you a bird message the next time I can get away,” Regina promised.  
“I look forward to it,” he said, sincerely as Tinkerbell began flying him back to his room. As he was repacking his stuff and thinking about all that had happened, a realization came to him. If he was going to be with Regina, he was going to stay close to her. No more of this moving around.  
***  
Robin’s second good bye to Regina was too formal for his liking, so he was glad he had given her a real one before he left. The Princess and the King were also there and politely bid their guests farewell. Regina stayed slightly behind, but played the gracious queen role very well.  
He walked down from the palace courtyard with his men, and as soon as the royals, servants, and Gwydion, were out of earshot, John and Will started on him.  
“Alright, spill,” Will said. “Are you really stupid enough to almost get yourself caught by staying with her all night?”  
“I didn’t get caught,” Robin said.  
“You’re not going to keep seeing her here, are you? That’s suicide,” John said.   
Robin sighed. The day of the show he’d told them about his and Regina’s conversation and her explanation. They had been skeptical, and worried for him.  
“Are you sure she’s being completely honest now though?” Will asked before Robin could bother answering John.  
“Yes, I am. She wouldn’t have taken a risk to come see me if she wasn’t,” he said.  
“Okay, but still, is she really worth risking your life? If you get caught, King Leopold’s within his rights to have you executed,” John said, worried for his friend.   
“Yeah,” Will chimed in. “I mean, I know his people say he’s a good King, but no King will take lightly to being cuckolded.”  
“She is worth it,” Robin said. “I can’t explain it really, but now that I know her, I don’t want to be apart from her.”  
“So, is she just going to keep turning up where we are?” John asked.  
And Robin knew that it was time to tell them what he’d decided.  
“No,” Robin replied. “Because I’m not going to be able to keep traveling with you. I want to stay close to where she is.”  
“So, you’re not coming with us?” Will said.  
“No,” Robin declared, feeling more sure by the minute. “I’ll tell Gwydion when we reach the village.”  
“And you’re going to do what?” John asked, skeptically.  
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll think of something,” Robin said, confident things would work out. “You two think I’m crazy right now, don’t you?” he continued, looking over at his friends.  
“A little,” Will admitted. “I know you like her, and honestly I think she’s been good for you. But are you really going to risk ruining your entire life for her?”  
“Yes,” Robin said. “And I don’t think this would ruin my life. It’ll only make it better.”  
“Well mate, I just hope you two can make it work,” John said.  
“We’ll find a way,” Robin said. “Everything will be fine.”  
Later that afternoon, when they reached the village, Robin approached Gwydion and said he wouldn’t be going any further.  
“Are you sure about this? You’re a good assistant,” the older man said, disappointed. “I hate to lose you.”  
“Thank you for everything Gwydion,” Robin said, sincerely. “But it’s time for me to move on.  
“Well, best of luck to you,” Gwydion said. “You have a plan though?”  
Robin was noticing one of the bar keeps putting up a sign in his window. It said “Help Wanted: Includes Room and Board.”  
“Maybe,” he said.  
“Good luck mate,” Will said, leaving with Gwydion.  
“Try to stay in touch,” John said.  
“I will,” Robin promised, as he walked over to the tavern.   
It was similar to the one he’d first met Regina in. Small, but could serve a lot. Comfortable. The bar keep, James, was thrilled to have a response so quickly, and happily agreed to let Robin move in and start immediately.  
“The last help I had just up and left, so I can use you right away,” he said, showing Robin upstairs to the small flat above the tavern where he would stay.   
It was small, but it could be comfortable. He hoped Regina wouldn’t mind visiting there. The bed was certainly big enough for two.  
“It’s perfect, thank you. I can start tonight if you like.”  
“Alright, well, I’ll let you get settled in first, and then we can work out the details.”  
After James left him upstairs, Robin emptied his bag of belongings on the bed. He didn’t have much, just some clothes, and his quiver and bow for hunting game. As he was putting his things away, a black bird appeared at his window. It was one of Regina’s birds, but there was no note in its beak.  
“Hello there,” Robin said, walking over to the window. “You followed me, didn’t you?”  
The bird chirped a little, and Robin chuckled.  
“Well you’ve got good timing, I’ll have you take a note to her.”  
He pulled out a quill and parchment from his bag and quickly wrote,  
‘I’ll be in the village, working and staying at one of the taverns. I want to stay close to where you are. I’ll see you soon.’  
Robin tied the note to the bird’s leg and watched as it flew away.  
He didn’t see Regina for about a week or so as he settled into his new routine. He found he actually really enjoyed working at a tavern. It kept him busy, he met some interesting people, and he was actually making some decent money.  
Then came a night when a familiar blond head appeared outside the window when it was close to closing time. When Tinkerbell caught his eye, he slipped outside to see her for a minute.  
“What’s going on?” he asked. “Is Regina okay?”  
“Yes, she’s here. I was able to get away tonight so I brought her. She’s waiting over there,” Tinkerbell pointed to the alley. “This is close to the palace, so she was worried she’d be recognized.”  
“Thank you,” Robin said, moving towards the alley. “I mean it, have yourself a drink on me if you want,” he continued, gesturing at the tavern.”  
“I think I’ll take you up on that,” Tinkerbell said, laughing as she went inside.  
Robin rounded the corner and saw a figure covered with a dark cloak waiting.  
“Regina,” he called softly. She took her hood off as she walked up to him and embraced him. He held her to him for a moment then leaned his face towards her to kiss her lips. She responded enthusiastically and they didn’t break for a moment.  
“I missed you,” she said when they broke apart.  
“And I you,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t want to come inside?”  
“No,” she answered sadly, shaking her head. “This is where I might be recognized, these people may have seen me more often.”  
“I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t think of that when I stopped here.”  
“No, I think it’s better. Now that I know where you are, I don’t have to rely on Tinkerbell as much. Blue’s still keeping watch on her so I don’t want her to take too many risks.”  
“Okay, well, I just gave last call before I came out here. So I can kick everyone out pretty soon. If you go through this door here,” he said, moving to open the side door. “It will bring you up to my flat. Wait for me there.”  
“Alright,” she said, turning to go up the stairs.  
The next half hour was torture but finally his remaining patrons were out the door and he could lock up. He quickly poured two glasses of whisky and brought them up to his flat.  
Regina had taken off the heavy cloak and was sitting on his bed in the leather riding outfit he was more used to seeing her in. He handed her a glass which she sipped at slowly. He sat down next to her on the other side of the bed and she moved in closer to him. He put his arm around her and they curled up together and drank in silence for a few minutes.  
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here,” Regina said.  
“It was only just over a week. I wasn’t sure when you’d be able to get away again. Even if Tinkerbell could, I know you said the king and princess make it difficult.”  
“It is harder when they’re around. Luckily, they’ve just left on another trip, so I’ll be able to get out more until they get back.”  
“Do they leave you alone a lot?”  
“Yes,” Regina said. “It’s the one thing that works in my favor.”  
“Doesn’t it look weird to people that you don’t all travel together?” he asked curiously. “Not that I’m not glad it gives us time together, it just seems odd.”  
“Well, as you know, it’s not a real marriage. It’s a farce. And he always makes it very clear that he’d rather spend time with his precious daughter than his wife. The people love Snow, so they don’t seem to question it enough for the king to change it. But I’m glad. I’d rather be alone than spend more time with either of them. Even if I do feel like the Queen of Nothing.”  
“You’re not nothing,” Robin said. “Never say that,” he continued, leaning in to kiss her.  
“Thank you,” she said, smiling. She kissed him and they moved their glasses to his dresser that was next to the bed. They kept kissing each other and Regina started working to remove Robin’s shirt. He began playing with the clasps on her vest, and began to shift on top of her. They settled in for another night of blissful lovemaking.  
***  
Over the next few months, Robin and Regina continued their relationship (Robin refused to call it an affair, even though that’s what Will had called it when he’d written to ask how his new life was) happily. Sometimes they met during the day in the woods, Regina telling the guards she was going riding, and preferred to do so alone.  
“Aren’t they suspicious?” he had asked her in the beginning.  
“Maybe, but I’ve been paying them extra so they’ll keep their mouths shut,” she explained. “They don’t really care as long as they have their money,” she’d explained.  
Sometimes he’d visit her at the palace at night. She’d found a way for him to get in through a door close to the servant’s entrance. As long as he came late enough that the servant’s were having dinner, he wasn’t noticed as he climbed to her tower. She would come to him some nights too, sneaking out after the servants had gone downstairs and the stable hands had gone to bed.  
One night after a few months, Robin had a night off from the tavern and it was again Regina’s turn to sneak out to Robin’s flat. When she arrived, Robin almost wished she hadn’t. He was very happy to see her, but she didn’t look so good. Especially considering that when he came down to greet her, she was vomiting at the side of the building.  
“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?” he said, as he ushered her upstairs. “You didn’t have to ride all this way, it’s freezing.”  
“I’m alright,” she said stubbornly, although she still looked green when they made it up the stairs. “I’m just a bit nauseous, I probably ate something funny.”  
“Still, you should rest,” he said, gesturing for her to lie on the bed.   
“It’s not like we were planning on going out or getting wild,” she said, smirking as she did sit on the bed and lounge with her head against the headboard. “We can’t here anyway.”  
“I know,” he said, sitting next to her and putting his arm around her. “I just don’t want you to get more ill.”  
“I’m not even ill,” Regina argued, although her face started contorting and she turned over the edge of the bed and vomited again.  
Robin jumped up and grabbed a basin that was typically used for washing for her. He rubbed her back while she finished and then went to get rid of it. When he came back she was practically in the fetal position. He climbed back into bed to hold her.  
“I think you are a little ill,” Robin said.  
“I just don’t like to go long without seeing you, and they’ll be home again in a few days so I didn’t know when I could get out again,” she said softly, snuggling closer.  
“I am glad to see you,” he said, kissing her head. “Although I’m guessing you may not want any dinner?”  
“No, I think I’ll pass on that,” she said, regretfully.  
“So how long are they back home for?” he asked.  
“I don’t know, probably a month or so before he goes on another tour. His birthday is coming up, so there will be the usual celebration for that. The preparations take awhile and I have to play the dutiful wife. That’s why I wanted to come now, in case it was impossible during that time.”  
“Well, you rest,” he said. “I’m happy just being here with you.”   
“Do you have to go downstairs to work at all tonight?” she asked.  
“No, James is down there tonight. I’m yours,” he said.   
“Good,” she said, in a softer voice. Her breathing was getting heavy and Robin could tell she was probably going to fall asleep soon. He kissed her head again and pulled up the blanket around her, since she was shivering slightly.  
Their tender moments were interrupted by something hitting the window. Robin jumped and Regina jerked awake.  
“What was that?” she asked.  
“Someone’s trying to get my attention,” Robin said, moving off the bed to move toward the window. “You’re sure no one’s ever seen you come here, right?”  
“If it was the guards or the king, they wouldn’t throw a rock, they’d storm in,” she assured him.  
Robin looked out the window to see two familiar faces down in the alley way.  
“It’s John and Will!” he said, surprised.  
“Really?” Regina said. “It’s been awhile hasn’t it?”  
“I haven’t seen them since we separated,” Robin explained. “Do you mind if they come up?”  
“Of course not,” Regina said, sitting up, holding her stomach since it still felt weird. “We’re not really doing anything.”  
Robin went downstairs to let his friends in. It became clear quickly by the way they pushed through the door urgently that they weren’t here for a social call.  
“Thanks mate,” Will said as they raced up the stairs.  
“What’s going on?” Robin asked while he opened the door to the flat.  
“Well…” John began, but paused when he saw Regina.  
“Sorry mate,” Will said. “We didn’t realize you were both here.”   
“Hello, Your Majesty,” John said, still looking uncertain as to how to address her now that he knew she was the Queen.   
“I prefer ‘Regina,’ John,” she said, rolling her eyes.  
“Sorry, still getting used to the idea,” he said.  
“So, what’s so urgent? When did you get back here?” Robin asked, giving them some of the food he had originally intended for himself and Regina. They devoured it and in between bites they told their friends what had happened.  
“It started when Will tried to pick pocket some duke at the last show we were at,” John started.  
“Good god Will, you don’t pick pocket people with guards around them!” Robin scolded, knowing where this must be going.  
“Hey he wandered off by himself and gold was practically spilling out of his pocket, the idiot. I didn’t know the man with him was a guard, he wasn’t dressed like one.”  
“That happens all the time,” Regina chimed in. “They’ll dress one of their guards in the clothes of a normal servant, as a decoy.”  
“Yeah, well, we know that now,” John said. “But when we were leaving, their carriage wasn’t heavily guarded, and we knew we’d need more to live on if we were being chased.”  
“And they caught you robbing the carriage?”  
“Yes,” John admitted. “It was stupid. We managed to hide in the forest but they’re out for our blood now.”  
“I’m amazed you got away at all,” Robin said. “But why come all the way back here?”  
“Well, Gwydion decided to save his own arse and pretended he knew nothing about any of it. The git. We hid in the woods for awhile and when we came across him, he told us we weren’t coming with him anymore and that the guards would be after us for thievery. Told us to be grateful he didn’t turn us in and just left.”  
“So, then you started back here?”  
“Yeah. We’re wanted men now,” John said. “So we mostly travelled at night and slept during the day.”  
“Stole from carriages and hunted for meat,” Will continued. “Took us a week to get back here.”  
“What do you expect to do here? If you’re wanted, they can track you to other kingdoms, not just the one you were in,” Robin said, worry descending on him. “Are you sure no one spotted you when you came here? If they catch you here, they could catch Regina too,” he continued.  
“Our posters haven’t made it this far yet, I wouldn’t worry about it,” John said.  
“No, but they will. And you could probably be executed for trying to rob a duke, depending on what their laws are. Whose kingdom were you in?” Regina asked, worried.  
“King George’s,” John said.  
“Yes, well, if that duke is angry enough, I have no doubt King George would have you executed just for pick pocketing. He’s vile,” Regina explained.  
“You know him?”  
“Not really, but when you’re a Queen, you hear about these things,” Regina said. “And while my…husband doesn’t particularly like him, he respects his right to rule, and if there’s a reward attached, people will turn you in.”  
“Especially since if you got caught robbing one person there, I’m guessing other people realized they were robbed as well,” Robin went on.  
“Yeah, they did. That’s why we fled,” Will explained.  
“So what’s your plan then?” Robin asked. “Back to the old days?”  
“Well, most likely,” Will admitted. “I mean, I don’t suppose…”  
“Look Will, you can’t live here. If you were caught, I’d be harboring fugitives,” Robin said. “We’d all be in danger then.”  
“Well, we’re going to be living in the woods for awhile it looks like,” John said.  
Robin sighed and put his hand up to his forehead.  
“Look, I’ll try to help you if I can. I can try to bring you food or anything else while you’re in the area.”  
“You don’t really have to do that Robin,” John said. “This was our stupid mistake.”  
“And I would have been right there with you if I hadn’t left earlier,” Robin said.  
Regina had sat quietly on the bed for a few moments while they were talking and thinking. It was such a waste for them to be starving in the woods.  
“I can get you food,” she said quietly.  
They turned to look at her, surprised.  
“Well, it’s not like there’s not plenty of food in the palace kitchens. They’re used to me going riding a few times a week, and I can just bring a ‘picnic’ with me or something.”  
“Do you mean it?” Will asked.  
“Sure,” she said. “At least until you figure something else out.”  
“Won’t it raise suspicion?” John asked, while Robin looked concerned about the same thing.  
Regina gave a slight smirk.  
“If there were only one advantage to being Queen…”  
“You mean besides the wealth and power?” Will asked sarcastically.  
“Yes,” Regina said, narrowing her eyes. “It’s that while servants may have questions, they don’t really have the right to voice them out loud. And if they mention it to the king, I’ll tell him what I tell them. I’m taking lunch for my rides.”  
They nodded.  
“It’s generous of you,” John said. “It must be a risk for you too.”  
“It’s one I’m willing to take,” Regina said.  
“Are you sure?” Robin asked.  
“Yes,” she said.  
And she meant it. For the next two weeks, Will and John set up camp in the woods a few miles from the village. She would take her rides alone with Rocinante on her usual days and bring a basket of food that would last them. She did this even on days when she wasn’t feeling well, as this stomach bug had lingered, but she said it was worth that annoyance to be with all of them.   
Robin often visited them with her, since he usually worked in the evenings. It was comfortable being out in the woods together, as though that was where they belonged.  
After two weeks, she showed up late one day. Robin was worried about her and he could tell Will and John were irritated with him.   
“Mate, she probably got held up,” Will said, grumpy because he was hungry and their rations had been used up.  
Eventually they heard a whinny and Rocinante came into view, Regina aboard.   
“Sorry,” she said as she dismounted and handed them their usual basket. “Snow held me up, wanting my opinion on a dress for her father’s birthday.”  
But Robin could see it wasn’t just that. Something was bothering her. She wasn’t meeting his eyes and seemed nervous.  
As John and Will started eating the meat she’d brought them, Regina took Robin aside.  
“Is everything alright?” he asked.  
“I don’t know,” she said. “I just found out something. And it’s not bad exactly, but it’s going to complicate things.”  
“What is it?” he asked worried at how nervous she looked.  
She stopped and turned to look at him straight on. She bit her lip slightly, and sighed before she spoke.  
“I’m pregnant.”


	7. Escape

CHAPTER SIX  
Robin stared at Regina, trying to process what she had just said. Regina looked into his eyes nervously, unsure of how he would react. She had rehearsed it the whole ride over, keeping Rocinante at a walk most of the time, as she’d heard riding could cause a miscarriage. But, when she saw him, all rehearsal went out of her mind, and she blurted it out as soon as she’d pulled him aside.  
After a moment of getting over the shock of her announcement, Robin said,  
“You’re…with child?”  
“Yes,” she said, putting a hand on her abdomen. He slowly reached up and put his hand there too. He started smiling and Regina breathed a sigh of relief.  
“I know it makes things complicated,” she said.  
“A bit,” Robin admitted, putting his other hand on her shoulder in reassurance. “But, we’ll be able to handle it together.”  
“Yes,” she said, allowing herself to smile about for the first time since she’d realized what was really wrong with her.   
Robin leaned in to kiss her, to which she responded eagerly. This went on for a few moments before Will interrupted.  
“Oy! Love birds! If you want some of this feast, you better get over here!” he shouted, his mouth full of a turkey leg he’d pulled from the basket.  
Robin and Regina laughed and started walking over to their friends. Regina smiled still more at the idea that they’d become her friends too.  
“So, what was that about?” John asked as they sat down on the ground. “You looked so serious when you arrived.”  
“Well,” Regina said, looking over at Robin. He shrugged and nodded. “I found out we’re going to have a baby.”  
Will almost dropped the rest of his turkey leg and John paused bringing a bit of potato to his mouth. Both their eyes bugged out, as if they weren’t sure whether this was news to celebrate.  
“Normally, I’d offer congratulations,” Will began. “And I want to, but obviously this is complicated.”  
“You look happy about it though,” John said. “So, I’m guessing it’s not a bad thing to you.”  
“Of course not,” Robin said, rolling his eyes at his friends. “I mean, yes it’s complicated. But it is a good thing,” he continued, putting his arm around Regina. She took his hand then, smiling.  
“Well, congratulations,” Will said, for real this time.  
John smiled along with him.  
“Any ideas of what you plan to do? I mean, it’s not like you can keep it a secret forever.”  
“No,” Regina agreed. “Definitely not.” She touched her belly, as though it might start swelling rapidly.  
“Now, don’t take this the wrong way,” Will began, prompting a response from Robin,  
“Why do I not like where that question is headed?” he asked.  
“Just hear me out. You’re a married woman,” he stated.  
“Yes,” Regina said, cautiously.  
“And I’m guessing that you’re sure there’s absolutely no way it’s his baby.”  
“Will!” Robin said, exasperated.  
“No it’s okay,” Regina said, putting her hand up. “There’s no way it’s the king’s baby. Let’s just leave it at that.”  
“Okay, that’s not even what I was really worried about. But if there’s absolutely no way it’s his, he’ll know that too. And I can’t think of any man, royal or not, who would take kindly to finding his wife pregnant with a child he knows isn’t his.”  
“You’re right,” Regina said. “He will know I’ve been with someone else. I mean, he ignores me for the most part so it really shouldn’t matter to him. But it will,” she continued bitterly. “So, I have to find a way out.”  
She sighed and went on, trying to calm the anger she felt at the man she’d been forced to marry.  
“Basically, he’d have two options if I’m stuck there long enough for him to find out,” she started to explain. “He could claim to the kingdom that the child is his, for the sake of saving face. Or, he can brand me a whore and cast me out. Neither situation is particularly ideal.”  
“Would he actually claim the child was his?” John asked with a doubtful look.  
“If he wants to save face,” Regina explained. “I mean, there’s nothing that causes people to lose respect for a man faster than finding out his wife left for another man. The mentality being if he can’t run his wife around, how is he fit to run a kingdom? It’s stupid, but it’s true.”  
“Very,” Robin agreed.  
“Now, if that is the option he were to choose, I’d still be stuck there. The child would be a prince or princess.”  
“If you had a boy, could he take Snow White’s claim to the throne?”  
“No,” Regina said. “Leopold named Snow White his heir after Queen Eva died. Any other children he had couldn’t take the throne unless he issues another decree. So, he wouldn’t be worried about that.”  
“And if he announces you were unfaithful and throws you out? Is that any better?”  
“In the sense that I can leave, yes,” Regina said. “But I’ll never have peace. I’d probably be sent back to my family home to live under constant supervision or something. And if he found out who the father is, in either scenario, he’d be within his rights to have him executed,” she continued.  
“So,” John said. “We have to make sure he can never find out.”  
“Basically,” Robin said.  
“We?” Regina asked, surprised.  
“Of course ‘we,’” Will said. “Did you think we’d leave you two to this alone? Especially after how much you’ve helped us?”  
Robin smiled and shook his head. Regina sighed, gratefully.  
“Thank you,” Regina said. “Truly.”  
“So, how are we going to make sure the king never knows?” Will continued. “I mean, do you think you could hide your pregnancy at least? It’ll be harder once the babe’s born I imagine, but maybe after you deliver, Robin can take the child.”  
“Probably not,” Regina said.  
“Those gowns we saw you wear at the palace were huge,” Will pointed out. “Maybe you could go away for a bit once you started getting really big.”  
“Will, that’s still not going to help her much after the baby is born,” Robin pointed out. “I could take the child, sure, but then we’d still be doing what we are now.”  
“And,” Regina spoke up, knowing they wouldn’t understand unless she spelled it out. “Those clothes that you think will hide it? That doesn’t help when the person who helps me get them on and off will notice and gossip.”  
Will and John looked confused and Regina couldn’t help but laugh.  
“That’s why we have ladies’ maids and valets,” she said. “Trust me, if you saw how intricate those clothes were, no one could put them on without assistance.”  
“Okay, so that’s out,” John agreed.  
“Plus, it doesn’t help her get away,” Robin pointed out. “We don’t want to keep living like this with a baby.”  
“The baby deserves a family,” Regina said.  
“We could always abduct you,” John said, trying to come up with ideas.  
“No,” Will said. “There’d be a man hunt. They’d never stop looking for her, or us.”  
“So, disappearing is out of the question too I’m guessing,” John said.  
“Probably,” Robin said. “Although at least that way there’s no price on anyone’s head and they won’t suspect a ransom is on the way.”  
“Disappear,” Regina whispered as she looked at the ground, an idea slowly coming to her.   
They turned to her, looking confused.  
“No, the same thing would happen,” Robin said, looking concerned at the strange look on her face. “They’d keep looking for you, we’d never be free of them.”  
“Unless they thought I was dead,” Regina said, looking up.  
No one responded. Her words echoed in their heads.  
“If they believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that I must be dead, there’s no one to go after,” Regina said, it becoming clearer.   
They nodded, going over it.  
“So, how do we go about that? Faking your death?” Robin asked.   
“I don’t know that yet,” Regina said. “But it’s what we’ll have to do.”  
***  
Faking a death and getting away with it was certainly turning out to be complicated. Every day that went by after they made the decision about what needed to happen, Regina got more paranoid that her stomach was going to pop and someone would notice. She had no way of truly knowing how far along she might be, as she and Robin had been together quite a few times. If she had gotten pregnant the first time, she would be about three months now, and could start to show soon. Every time her maid helped her dress, she was worried something would look different.   
Her father could tell something was wrong and kept trying to get her to talk. But she didn’t want to tell him anything until she was sure the plan was set at the very least. She also was at an odds about what to tell him. She didn’t want to burden him with the truth, and risk too many people finding out. It could fail.  
But she couldn’t just let her father think she was dead either. It was one thing for the rest of the kingdom and the man she would otherwise be stuck in a loveless marriage with to believe she was dead. But she couldn’t bear for her father to mourn her when he didn’t have to. At the same time, if this worked out and she escaped, the chances of her seeing her father again were slim to none. Maybe it was better if she just let him think she was dead?  
This argument was raging through her head one morning when a green light flew into her room and Tinkerbell made herself big.  
“Sorry,” she said breathlessly, moving to sit on Regina’s bed. “This was the first day I could get away. What’s going on?”  
“I’m so glad to see you,” Regina said, more sincerely than she ever had before. Tinkerbell noticed.  
“Okay, really, what’s happened?”  
“I need your help again. I need to escape this place. Permanently,” Regina said. “I need to leave with Robin, but no one can ever know. I need to fake my death.”  
Tinkerbell stared at her for a minute.  
“You want to fake your death?” Tinkerbell said, cautiously, as though questioning Regina’s sanity.  
“It’s the only way,” Regina insisted. “The only way our family can live in peace.”  
“Family?” Tinkerbell questioned.  
“Yeah,” Regina said, softly smiling through her urgent speech and putting a hand to her womb. “I’m going to have a baby.”  
Tinkerbell grinned and threw her arms around her best friend.  
“That’s wonderful!” she said.   
“Yes,” Regina agreed. “And complicated, because I have to get out of here before it becomes obvious.”  
“Okay,” Tinkerbell said. “We’ll figure something out,” she promised. “You need to be dead?”  
“Yes,” Regina said. “It’s the only way to make sure they don’t come after me when I disappear.”  
“Have either of you thought of anything yet?”  
“Not really,” she said, sitting down on her bed, looking afraid again. “We know it has to involve something that allows Robin and the others into the Palace to get me. And for anyone to believe me truly dead and gone, there will have to be a funeral, with me in a casket.”  
“Both of those complicate matters,” Tinkerbell said after she sat down next to her friend on the bed.  
“They do,” Regina said. “And I don’t want to ask you to keep risking, well, whatever it is you’re risking to help me.”  
“My wings,” Tinkerbell said. “But don’t worry. I’ll figure something out if you need me.”  
“One day I’ll be able to repay you for what you’ve done for me,” Regina vowed. “You’re a good friend.”  
“Don’t worry about that,” Tinkerbell insisted. “First, we need to figure out how the boys can get into the palace, and then how we can fake it in a way that give them no reason to doubt,” she continued, an idea seeming to come to her.  
“You have an idea?” Regina asked, hopefully.  
“Possibly,” Tinkerbell said. “Let’s get Robin tonight and we’ll talk about it. There might be a way that already has precedence.  
With that, Regina watched her friend become small again and take off, presumably to get Robin. She lay back on her bed with a sigh, hoping this would work out soon. And she still had to figure out what to tell her father, if anything.  
***  
Tinkerbell’s plan seemed a bit extravagant, but if all went well, it would work. It included a reason for the men to already be in the Palace so they wouldn’t need to sneak in, and everyone in the kingdom would believe the Queen was dead. There was only one thing that was needed to start the process of getting everything started.  
“We just need a way in to perform,” Robin said as they went over details. “We can’t just storm into the castle and start a magic show like we’ve been doing in the villages to practice. For these types of performances you need an invitation.”  
“That’s true,” Tinkerbell said. “But once we get over that hurdle, can’t you see how it will all come together?”  
“Yes,” Robin agreed. “But forgive me if I’m missing the obvious. How exactly are we going to convince the King to invite magicians he’s seen before?”  
“I’ll take care of that,” Regina said. “I know just who to tell. You and the boys just keep doing the practice performances in the village, so the trick isn’t new to the general public.”  
Later that night, Regina did something she hadn’t done since she married King Leopold. She went to visit her step-daughter’s bedroom without being asked or prompted by someone else.   
Snow White was shocked but delighted when her step-mother entered her room. She jumped up from her bed in excitement and ran over to hug her. Regina hugged her back, feeling a tiny bit of guilt that surprised her. But her time with Robin had allowed her to let go of her anger and she no longer hated the girl for telling her mother about Daniel. And Snow obviously cared about her.  
“I just thought I’d tell you something exciting,” Regina said, lightly, hoping she sounded more enthusiastic than nervous.  
“What is it?” Snow asked, interested.  
“Do you remember the magician who performed for your birthday and his assistants?” Regina asked.  
“Of course, they were wonderful,” she gushed. “It was a great show.”  
“It was. And it turns out, his assistants have started their own act. They’ve been performing throughout the villages and people are raving about the new illusions they can do.”  
Snow’s face lit up with excitement at the idea.  
“Oh Regina, do you think we could ask them here again?” She asked enthusiastically. “Maybe Father would like it for his birthday, since they came for mine?”  
“Well, why don’t you ask him?” Regina said. This was going well. He wouldn’t refuse his daughter and even if Snow told him it was her who had told her about the shows, she wasn’t the one endorsing the idea. It was a slight risk, but hopefully one that wouldn’t flip everything on its head.  
While Snow was supposed to be talking to her father the next morning, Regina knew she had to decide what to tell her own. Time was running out if everything went according to plan. She didn’t want to lie to him and make him believe she was dead. He’d be devastated. But she also couldn’t burden him with a lie. And she needed him to be devastated during her funeral. It would look suspicious if he wasn’t.  
***  
A week later, the plan was in full motion. Regina was actually surprised it seemed to be going so well. She was waiting for a glitch but hadn’t seen it yet. As she knew would be the case, the King couldn’t resist giving his daughter exactly what she wanted. Robin, John, and Will would arrive at the palace on the night of the King’s birthday, and the performance would be the next afternoon.  
The men came in as the same gracious guests they had been before if not better. John and Will looked around the Hall again, and Regina knew that this time, they weren’t awed so much as looking for the routes they’d need to take. But it looked ordinary to the King, the Princess, and the staff.   
Dinner was a grand affair as it was the King’s birthday. As usual, he requested no gifts, and proclaimed his daughter the most perfect gift he’d ever received. And then he paid tribute to his deceased first wife while Regina sat in her own chair and simply stared at her food. She looked up after the applause and saw Robin looking at her with concern.   
During the dancing later, while John and Will had wandered off to scout for their escape routes, Robin sidled near her and spoke through the corner of his mouth.  
“It’s like he doesn’t even care you’re sitting there when he says those things,” he complained quietly on her behalf.  
“Honestly, that’s what’s going to make this so easy,” she said. “So, don’t worry about it.”  
“It’s still not right for him to ignore you like that,” he said, starting to move past her so as not to attract suspicion.  
“By tomorrow night it won’t matter anymore,” she whispered back, confident. While this was nerve wracking, she began to let herself truly hope.   
The next morning, she woke up with butterflies in her stomach. This was it. This was the day she’d finally have her freedom. She could only pick at her breakfast, nervous about what could go wrong.  
There was a knock on her chamber door suddenly, though it was a good half an hour before she would expect her maid to come and help her dress for the event. Regina opened the door cautiously, and found her father standing in front of her, looking concerned.   
“Daddy,” she began, but he cut her off as he walked into her room.  
“What’s Robin doing here again, Regina?” he asked, nervously.  
The moment had arrived, to tell the whole truth or not? And she still couldn’t make up her mind.  
“Um…” she began unconvincingly.   
“He’s not just here to do a show is he?” Henry asked.  
Well, since he’d already figured out some of it.  
“No,” Regina said. “He’s not. But I can’t tell you anything else.”  
“Regina…” he father began.  
“It’s to keep you safe, Daddy,” she insisted, since that had been a concern for her. “It’s better if you know as little as possible.”  
Henry looked like he wanted to argue for a second, but she stopped him by moving in to hug him.  
“I love you Daddy,” she said, sincerely. “And I need you to trust me okay?”  
He hesitated, but nodded.  
“Are you sure this is safe? And it’s what you want?”  
“It’s what I want more than anything,” she promised. “I don’t really know if it’s safe, but I know I have to try.”  
She decided not to tell him about the baby right now. She would send him an anonymous note with the details that he could destroy later.   
“What you’re going to see today isn’t real Daddy,” she said. “But I need you to pretend that you think it is.”  
There, that is as much as she could give him.  
Henry took a deep breath in thought, and let it out.  
“Alright,” he said. “I will.” He turned to leave, but turned back to face her one more time. “Will I see you again? Or is this goodbye?”  
“I hope we’ll see each other again,” she said honestly, trying not to well up. “But perhaps it’s goodbye for now.”  
Her father moved to embrace her again, this time clutching her tightly.  
“I love you sweetheart,” he said sincerely, turning to move away. “And I hope this turns out how you want it to.”  
“I love you Daddy,” she said again. He left the room and after he was gone she allowed her tears to fall over the one person she didn’t want to leave behind.  
***  
An hour later, she was sitting outside in the courtyard, smoothing out her dress, and going over the rest of the plan in her mind. She knew Tinkerbell was small and probably flying around right now, looking for an indiscreet place to hide so she could assist.   
Snow was bouncing next to her in excitement.   
“Regina, do you think they’ll let me volunteer again? It was so much fun last time!”  
“I don’t know Snow, it sounds like their act is a bit different than it was with Gwydion,” Regina answered as honestly as she could. She knew there would be no volunteers called on for this particular show.  
“I’m sure it will be quite entertaining anyway,” the king chimed in.  
“Oh of course it will,” Snow said, enthusiastically.  
The show began soon after that as planned. Tinkerbell had found a very good place to hide, it seemed, and had enjoyed making changes to Gwydion’s tricks. An entire forest seemed to grow instead of one tree, which the audience loved. The mirror tricks got more complex as it seemed as though you could see into another world. Regina just hoped that if that was the case, it wasn’t Wonderland.  
Robin was pretty good at pretending these tricks were his too. He had just the right amount of flourish and he’d clearly rehearsed.  
“And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, for our final illusion, we’ll be doing something a little different.”  
Regina braced herself. This was it. She repeated the steps she had to make in her mind.  
“Some of you may remember my old mentor’s trick of making someone disappear.”  
Many in the audience cheered. Regina applauded graciously when people looked up, remembering it had been she.  
“Well, we have a similar one today, but it’s not the same as his. In a moment, you will notice a cloud of smoke surround all of you. It’s harmless, don’t worry,” he added when some people looked nervous. “And when the smoke clears, one of you in the audience will disappear. If we can’t find you after a few minutes, never fear, the smoke will come again and bring you right back.”  
The audience now seemed more ready for the idea, and Snow leaned forward in excitement.   
“Who do you think he’s picking?”  
“Doesn’t seem like he wants to share,” her father said. “Although I rather hope it’s not me.”  
Regina resisted the urge to snort. No worries there.  
Then, the smoke started from all over. Tinkerbell must have wanted to make sure no one could figure out where it came from. Regina focused, and as soon as the smoke surrounded her and she couldn’t see anyone, even the King next to her, she pulled the lever to open the trap door Little John had installed under her throne.  
Even though she’d practiced this while they worked on their show, she had to struggle not to scream on the fall to the ground beneath the stage. She quickly got up and saw a hand reaching over as Little John shut the trap door.  
“Quick,” he said, starting to lead her. “We only have a minute or so before the smoke clears, and a few after before they realize you won’t actually appear again.”  
“Right,” she said, hiking up her skirt to keep up as they went for their short sprint to the stables.  
Will was waiting for them alone. All the staff had been invited to the show, at Snow’s insistence (and at Regina’s subtle suggestion), so no one would know John and Will had been there. Will was holding the small vial of the sleeping potion Tinkerbell had given her.  
“Okay,” Regina said, holding out her hand to take it. “I’m ready.”  
“Are you sure?” Will asked. “This is the last chance to back out.”  
“No, that was last night,” Regina insisted. “We’re running out of time.”  
“Alright,” he said, handing her the vial.  
“You do have the antidote right?” Regina said, knowing that could be the one hitch in this that she’d have no control over. Will pulled out a different vial.   
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Robin will stick it to my hand to make sure we don’t lose it.”  
“Thank you, thank you both for everything,” she said.  
“Hey we’ll see you soon,” John said.  
Regina walked into the stables and to Rocinante’s stall. Her horse turned to her for a pat as she walked in. She stroked his nose and said,  
“We’re going to be out of here soon, boy,” she promised him. She sat down on the straw and twisted the cap off the vial. She brought it to her lips and downed the potion. The effects were almost instant and she felt herself falling into blackness quickly. Her final thoughts before the sleep overtook her were that John and Will would retrieve the bottle from the stall before she was found and that Robin would safely escape.  
***  
There was liquid pouring down her throat and she felt herself draw in breath. She opened her eyes. It was dark, but she knew she must be in doors. Suddenly, John’s face was above hers.  
“Rise and shine,” he said with a half smile. “It’s time to go.”  
“It worked?” she breathed out, sitting up, and getting out of the casket she must have been placed in.  
“Yes,” he said. “At least, your part did. The funeral was today, and they closed the coffin. It will be buried in the morning, so you have to go now.”  
“Where’s Robin?” she asked as she stepped down and began walking with John. She hadn’t missed what he might have meant when he said ‘your part did.’  
“Don’t worry about him, he’ll be behind you,” he said.  
“Why isn’t he here?” she whispered harshly as they walked out a side door of the chapel to the outdoors. Will was waiting with Rocinante, whom he had saddled, and an outfit more suitable for running than a fancy gown.  
“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine,” John said, but Regina wasn’t having it.  
“Where is he? Why am I leaving without him?” she insisted, her voice starting to rise.  
“Shhh…” Will said. “Let’s not blow this completely.”  
“He’s locked in the dungeons,” John admitted. “Robin faked devastation pretty well and argued it was an accident when they found you.”  
“You did the trick during practice performances where no one died, surely they didn’t believe it was an assassination?” Regina said. It was the one thing she was counting on with those practices.  
“We’re not sure. We were busy trying to keep a low profile, and he told us no matter what, make sure we woke you and you got out,” John said.  
“It seems as though the Princess was so upset the King felt he had to arrest him,” Will said.   
Regina sighed. Of course, it would be Snow to screw it up.  
“Well, we have to get him out, I can’t just leave him there.”  
“No,” Will said firmly. “WE need to get him out, and we will. You need to leave before the sun comes up and people see you alive.”  
“But…” Regina said.  
“He’s right, Regina,” Little John said, taking Rocinante’s reigns and handing them out to her. “Robin wants you to get out first. I promise, we will get him out. But you need to go. He’d never forgive us if you got caught now.”  
Regina sighed and surrendered. She took the clothes from Will and quickly went behind a tree to change.   
“You better burn the gown,” she advised when she came out in her riding clothes and took Rocinante’s reins to begin mounting up.  
“We could sell it and make a fortune,” Will said.  
“And if someone recognizes it and wants to know why you have the gown the Queen was buried in?” Regina said as she settled on Rocinante’s back.  
“Fair point,” Will said, admitting defeat.  
“So, where am I going, exactly?” Regina said.  
“We got you a map,” John said, handing her a large sheet of parchment. “Tinkerbell was able to enchant it so you’d be able to follow it. It will take you out of the kingdom towards a cabin in King Richard’s kingdom that we used to stay in. It belongs to a priest named Friar Tuck. He’ll let you stay until we make it back.”  
“He’s a good sort, he won’t betray you. He’s very fond of Robin,” Will added.  
“Okay,” Regina said, readying herself to take off. “And you’ll get him out? You know how to get into the dungeons?”  
“We swear on our lives,” John said. “We learned that route already and we can get around the guards’ shifts.”  
“We aren’t strangers to escape. Now, the sun’s going to rise soon, you need to leave.”  
“I’ll see you soon,” Regina said, urging Rocinante forward into the dark woods. He galloped as though his own life depended on it.   
“I’ll see you soon, Robin,” she vowed to herself as she went into the forest and towards her freedom.


	8. Escape: Part 2

CHAPTER SEVEN  
The crowd was laughing (and slightly coughing as the smoke disappeared. Some of it was still lingering when someone shouted,  
“It was the Queen! She’s gone!”   
People gasped and started pointing up at the empty throne. Robin saw King Leopold look to his side and get up slightly. Princess Snow White was laughing and clapping. Robin quickly started laughing along with the crowd.  
“Well, she didn’t seem to mind last time! Now, has she reappeared anywhere close?” he asked the audience, keeping a clueless grin on his face.  
Everyone, including the King it seemed, was looking around to see if the Queen had reappeared anywhere in the courtyard. When it became clear to the audience that she hadn’t, Robin shouted out the same thing he had in all his practice performances for this “trick.”   
“Okay, she must have gone a bit farther, but never fear! I can bring her right back,” he shouted.  
He raised his hand, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tinkerbell get ready. She released the smoke as he brought his hand down, and everyone was surrounded again. Robin prepared himself to look shocked when Regina didn’t reappear in her seat.  
And when the smoke cleared, the crowd gasped in horror. Robin pretended to look confused briefly.  
“Alright,” he said. “Let me…let me just try it again,” he continued as the king was getting up and looking like he was signaling the guards.   
Tinkerbell released the smoke again, and allowed it to clear. Robin knew that this was it, and hoped Regina would make it to the stables and drink the potion before the guards went that far.  
When Regina didn’t reappear after the second time, Princess Snow shouted out,  
“What happened to her? Where is she?”  
This seemed to really set the King off and he signaled to his guards harshly. Robin held his hands up in a surrender position as two guards on the ground walked quickly over to him.  
“Please!” he shouted, hoping he sounded reasonably panicked. “Please, I can find her! This wasn’t…”  
He was silenced by a black bag being put over his head, but he could hear the commotion around him. He could hear the Princess sounding panicked about her step-mother and for a moment felt bad about it. But he really just hoped everything went according to plan.   
Robin was dragged for a few minutes (although it felt much longer) and his only clue as to where they were taking him was a lot of stairs. But John and Will had been scouting the place and Regina had given them a map to work from. He’d get out at some point, he just hoped Regina did.  
The guards unceremoniously tore the bag off his head and threw him into a dark cell. He was in the dungeon, obviously. It was lit slightly by some torches, but it was very damp and cold. He tried not to shiver as he was locked in.  
“You’ll be down here until the Queen is located,” one of the guards who had brought him down said. “And then the King will most likely want to talk to you about what exactly happened.”  
“I don’t know what happened,” Robin insisted. “I’ve done that trick many times, and everyone reappeared safely every time.”  
It was good to rehearse his story, although the guards just brushed him off.  
“The King will be the judge of that,” the other one said as they moved toward the stairs.  
Robin sat back against the wall and prayed the plan had worked. And then the second phase would begin.  
***  
Not long after, the guards came back down, dark looks on their faces. Robin didn’t have to fake looking nervous, as he knew what was going to happen if it worked, and didn’t know if it hadn’t.   
“The Queen is dead,” the guard said, gravely. “And His Majesty is putting you on trial for attempted assassination.”  
The cell door opened and another guard came into put him in shackles, and they started leading him up the stairs. Robin decided it was smarter not to protest. He did need them to believe she was dead, and hopefully he’d be able to convince the King it was an accident.  
He was blindfolded again as they left the dungeons and led down quite a few quiet corridors before he was forced to his knees and the blinds taken off. He was kneeling before King Leopold, who was looking down at him with a look Robin couldn’t quite identify. It was a mix of anger, fear, and confusion at best. But he also looked thoughtful. Robin quickly looked around and saw some nobles and gentry around the Hall. Apparently the King was his judge.  
Robin opened his mouth to start the defense that he’d planned, but he was cut off by the King.  
“I welcome you into my kingdom, into my home, and you repay me by killing my wife?” he said in loud voice, but there was clearly a question in there. He wasn’t sure if that was really what happened. Robin latched onto that.  
“No Your Majesty,” he said firmly. “I don’t know what happened to her. I’ve done that trick many times; you can ask people in the villages I’ve performed. I was always able to bring them back. No one was ever harmed.”  
“Until now,” the king said firmly. “And I cannot just let it go because you claim it was an accident. I have to assume that this is an assassination, and you could be trying to start a war.”  
“No, Your Majesty,” Robin said, remembering what he’d rehearsed. “I swear, no one was ever harmed before and I had no way of knowing this time would be different.”  
“I’ve spoken to my advisors, who spoke to people that had seen the performance before. And they have said that when they saw you do that trick, the person was brought quickly back.”  
“Yes,” Robin said.  
“However, I can’t just let you walk out of here without knowing everything. I need to know how and why the Queen died. And I need to keep my people safe.”  
“I don’t know how this happened,” Robin said. “She should have been brought right back, the illusion went exactly as it should have until she didn’t come back.”  
“Well, you’re going to have to tell us exactly how the trick works,” the King said.   
This was unexpected.  
“Excuse me?” Robin asked, trying to figure out how he would explain this.  
“If we know how it works, my advisors and I can discuss whether or not you are guilty of assassinating the Queen. Because if you didn’t, someone who was aware of your performance and techniques must have killed her.”  
Robin wracked his brain, trying to remember how Tinkerbell had explained what she was doing. But she used fairy magic. It wasn’t actually an illusion at all. Should he confess to that? Or would that give them more reason to believe he was guilty. He decided to try a technique he’d heard an old warrior tell him of when dealing with an interrogation. Tell the truth as much as possible, and only lie when necessary.  
“The smoke doesn’t cause the disappearance,” Robin said, remembering that much of Tinkerbell’s explanation. “It’s a distraction.”  
“We figured that much but thank you,” the King said. “What happens during the smoke.”  
“The person I choose is transported away briefly,” he said, knowing they might ask how and trying not to panic that the answer wouldn’t be easy to explain. He may have to confess that it was magic more than illusion. Maybe he’d stolen fairy dust.  
By the grace of a deity perhaps, the next question wasn’t “how?”  
“Where?” the King asked. “How far?”  
“Usually, just far enough that no one can immediately see them,” Robin explained slowly. “When I performed in the villages, we were fairly close to the forests, so they’d usually end up in the trees. Then they’d come right back.”  
“So, you didn’t control where they ended up?” The King questioned.  
Robin tried to remember if Tinkerbell had explained that part. He imagined she must have, but this needed to look like an accident.  
“Not entirely. I could control the area usually, but they wouldn’t necessarily end up in one exact spot per se.”  
“Well, where did you try to send the Queen?” the King asked, peering into his eyes in suspicion.  
“Here Your Majesty. The Great Hall. I wanted her to go somewhere she’d know, and this is where I meant to send her.”  
He left it at that, knowing this isn’t where she would have been found.  
“She wasn’t found in the Great Hall,” the King said, looking slightly triumphant as he believed he caught the man in a lie. “Her body was discovered in the stables by one of the stable boys. That’s quite far from the Great Hall.”  
“Well she obviously went too far,” Robin said.  
“And yet, there was either an assassin waiting for her there, or it was your magic that killed her,” Leopold said with the still triumphant look on his face. “The physicians have examined her body, and there are no signs of an attack. It was your magic that killed her.”  
Robin tried not to groan at the fact that Leopold had tried to trick him into trapping himself. But all the better if helped support the idea that Regina was dead. That was all that kept her safe.  
Leopold sentenced him to be executed for murder and treason in three days time. He ordered Robin to be sent to the dungeons until then. Robin was surprised by the wait, but grateful it would give him time to work out an escape.  
As he was being led away, he overheard some of the guards whispering about the delay.  
“I guess he wants to wait until after the Queen is buried. The Princess is going to be sent away for a few weeks after that because she’s distraught. He doesn’t want her to be around for the execution.”  
So that was why. He didn’t want his daughter more upset by what was going on and was sending her away after her step-mother’s funeral. He felt momentarily sorry for the girl, but also relieved that he’d have time to escape.  
Robin was hauled back to his cell to await execution. He protested as much as seemed natural until he was locked away and they were gone. He leaned against the damp and dark wall and started looking around for possible measures and routes of escape. He had three days. Hopefully Will and John were successful.   
Still, he closed his eyes and did something he hadn’t done for awhile. He prayed. Not for himself. He said a silent prayer for Regina’s and their child’s safety. He knew once she’d reached Friar Tuck’s home she’d be safe enough there, but that was a good three days ride out of this kingdom, and she couldn’t be riding too hard due to her pregnancy, so it might take her longer to get there.  
‘Stay safe Regina,’ he prayed. ‘Travel safely and off the road.’  
***  
Whenever there were no guards in the dungeon, Robin paced his cell looking around for a possible escape route. While there were two different possible exits, there was no way out of his cell without someone removing his shackles. He was chained to the wall and couldn’t even get to the door without being released. But he could pace enough to see around.  
The guards inadvertently gave him some information on what was going on when they got bored and gossiped with each other. He tuned in if it was something related to Regina.  
“She apparently looked quite peaceful when they found her. Like she’d fallen asleep,” he heard one of them say.  
“Apparently the Princess said something similar at the funeral. The Queen looked like she was sleeping.”  
“The poor girl. To lose her mother and her step-mother so young. The King is sending her to the Summer Palace for a few months so she can grieve in private. They’re leaving tomorrow.”  
“I know, I was assigned to go along. Weren’t you?”  
“No, at least not with the people taking the Princess. I have to stay here at least through the execution. If His Majesty decides to travel, I’ll probably go then.”  
So time had gone faster than Robin had expected. He’d been so bored and worried it seemed like it was a crawling speed. After the Princess was gone, he would be executed unless he got out. He hoped John and Will were quick about it now. They hadn’t been imprisoned with him so they hadn’t been caught. What was taking so long, he didn’t know.  
Sometime after the sun must have gone down (Robin couldn’t really tell), the sound of steps coming down echoed through the dungeon. Whoever was coming down was in a hurry. Robin backed towards the wall of his cell, cautiously.   
But that turned out not to be necessary. Two figures appeared at outside his cell, one rather large, and the other was thinner. They pulled off their hoods as the thinner one removed skeleton keys from a robed pocket.   
Robin sighed in relief to see Will and John again. Will quickly opened the cell door as he asked,  
“Regina?”  
“She escaped, and as far as we know she’s far off. She’s probably getting close to Tuck’s place now,” John whispered to him as Will walked in the door and fumbled with the keys.  
“Did anyone see you?” Robin asked.  
“I don’t think so,” Will said. “We’ve been casing the place since before the show, and found plenty of places to hide in the shadows. We laid low while they had her funeral and put you on trial and found a quick way out of here.”  
“Then we waited until there were only two guards on duty, and took them by surprise. With any luck, they’ll be knocked out until they get out of here,” John continued as Robin stood up and stepped away from his shackles at last. He rubbed his wrist while he followed his friends out of the cell. John led them up the steps and stopped on the way up. He looked left and right out the door, then moved forward and gestured the other two to follow him. The two guards they’d had an encounter with were still lying on the ground and the men cautiously stepped around them. Will stopped them when they passed a corner and leaned in. He pulled out a bow and quiver of arrows and handed it to Robin.   
“We stole their swords, but you need your bow,” Will said.  
Robin gratefully accepted his favorite hunting weapon, and continued following them down. They would have to be on their toes all the way out. They searched around every corner before continuing, and they ran into know one until they came to the courtyard of the palace. One of the guards was on his night time rounds and blocking their path.  
“Bloody Hell,” Will whispered as they shrank back against the wall by the gate.  
“So close,” Robin agreed.  
“What do you want to do?” John whispered. “We can’t stand here, he’ll will eventually see us.”  
“Should we make a break for it?” Will asked.  
“No,” Robin said. “Not unless we have a clear path to the woods.”  
“If we make it past them, we do,” Will whispered. “It’s just down the hill to the grounds.”  
The guard began moving away to the left, which left them a clearer path if they went right towards the woods after going through the gate.  
“Okay,” Robin said, taking an arrow out of his quiver and holding his bow at the ready. “Try to move quietly but keep an eye on them.”  
“Right,” Will said, holding his sword ready as they moved into the courtyard, their backs towards their exits so they could keep an eye on the guard.   
They inched out but they must have caused a change in the light or something because in spite of their light feet, the guard turned and saw them. After a moment of clear confusion, in which Will and John started moving faster while Robin drew his arrow in his bow and kept backing up, he shouted,  
“Prisoner escaping!” which probably brought other guards nearby to attention, but it wasn’t quick enough.  
Robin aimed his arrow and shot it at the guard. It hit him in the shoulder, which Robin was glad of as he wasn’t aiming to kill. It was enough to cause the guard to drop down in agony and gave them time to run.   
There were footsteps on pavement coming behind them as they ran down the path into the woods, but they didn’t seem to catch up. Robin chanced a glance back and saw the guards far behind, although it looked like some further back had horses.  
“They’ll have horses soon,” he said as they ran into the woods. “We’ll have to lose them quickly or we’re all dead!”  
They continued sprinting into the forest, far enough in front that the dark trees would hide them. The terrain was bumpy and dangerous, but as John pointed out,  
“Their horses won’t be able to get in here. At least not quickly.”  
Eventually, they came to the river.  
“If we walk in the water, they can’t follow any tracks. Just make it look like we went across, and then we’ll stay as close to the tree line as we can,” Robin said. “Make it look like we were headed to swim across and move down stream.  
The three men waded downstream through the water, staying knee deep at least, and thankfully the tree cover was good for awhile. They heard hooves coming at one point, and ducked low into the cover. Eventually the hoof beats disappeared, and they continued on. After a few hours went by, they chose to leave the river and get back on dry land. It was nearing dawn by then and the sun was up.  
“Anyone else’s balls freezing off?” Will complained as they walked through the trees, keeping an ear open for other people or horses.  
“The sun’s out, we’ll dry off soon,” Robin said, determined to keep moving.   
“And we can eat,” John said, suddenly sounding excited. Robin followed where John was looking and saw a group of wild turkeys crossing their path. “I see breakfast!” John continued.  
“Lunch and dinner too,” Will said.   
Robin raised his bow, and shot on of the turkeys down. This startled the others and they tried to fly away but Robin managed to shoot a second one before they all got away.  
“Good shot,” John complimented as they looked the birds over. Robin had gotten them both in the eye, so the bodies were clean.   
“Thank you,” he said, handing one bird to John and they began to skin them as Will started a fire to cook the meat. While Robin and John cooked, Will kept watch to see if anyone was coming near. It appeared they were the only ones in the woods, as they weren’t disturbed.  
“Do you think we’ve crossed into the next kingdom yet?” John asked, when they started moving again.  
“We went a long way down the river last night,” Robin said. “But we won’t know for sure for awhile. We should just head back towards Nottingham for now.”  
They kept trekking along, stopping for food and drink throughout the day. They kept far from the roads, not knowing how far King Leopold’s guards and knights might go to search for them.   
They passed through villages and stole food to survive when there wasn’t as much to hunt. Will was tempted to try to rob a carriage that passed by them once, but they knew there would be a bigger price on their heads now.  
After a few more days they reached the kingdom of Nottingham, and snuck through the villages. The one where Tuck’s church was located appeared over a hill. John and Will stopped in the village to see some friends who would know if King Leopold had sent knights out this way. Robin continued on passed the church to the meadow where Tuck’s cabin was. As he came up to it, he saw her, wearing breeches and a white shirt, grooming Rocinante. He stopped for a moment, mesmerized by the sight. She looked so natural and beautiful there, as though she had always belonged there.   
He grinned as he took her in and began walking towards her. He was about to call out to her, when she turned her head and saw him. She immediately dropped her brush and started to run toward him, her black hair flying behind her. Robin started laughing and also ran toward her, enveloping her in his arms when he reached her.   
They embraced for a few moments, and then she pulled him closer for a long kiss. When they broke apart, he noticed how her smile reached her eyes and they practically glittered. He couldn’t help but grin even bigger at her.  
“We’re free now,” she said, happily.  
“Yes,” he said, “we are free.”  
End Part One.


	9. New Life, New Challenges

CHAPTER EIGHT – 3 Months Later on the edge of Sherwood Forest  
Regina took a deep breath as she pulled back the string of her bow. She focused on the target in front of her, remembering what Robin had taught her. She let her breath out slowly as she let the arrow fly.   
“Yes!” she exclaimed, glad she’d shot the wild turkey clean.   
“Good shot,” said a man’s voice from a distance behind her. Regina turned around and saw Friar Tuck walking towards her, smiling.   
“Thank you. It’s the first time I managed to kill one with one shot,” she explained, walking over to get what was going to be dinner for a few nights.  
“And to think, not so long ago you could barely hit a target at all,” the older man said.  
“Yeah, I can probably join the rest of the hunters soon,” Regina said, pulling the arrow out of the turkey and carrying it with her.  
“Well I don’t know about that, in your condition,” the friar said, gesturing towards her now swollen belly.  
“I’ve still got awhile before the child’s born,” Regina said. “And I feel just fine.”  
Actually she felt more than fine. For the first time since she could remember, Regina felt truly happy and carefree. The last three months had in many ways felt like pure bliss, even if there had been challenges when it came to settling in. Friar Tuck had been kind enough to let Regina and Robin stay with him until they’d found something else, which was about two weeks later.   
Robin, since he had enjoyed working at the tavern near Leopold’s castle, took over the running of the village tavern that had closed after the owner had passed a few months before they’d arrived. The villagers were glad to have their old watering hole back, and there was an apartment for the two of them (soon to be three) upstairs.   
“That may be,” Tuck said as they began walking back towards the village together. “But I’m sure even the midwives will tell you to take it easy soon.”  
“Probably,” Regina admitted as they came to the path. “But I don’t want to lie around in bed unless it’s necessary. I don’t want to be confined. I already was for so long.”  
“Well, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about lying around and being bored,” Tuck said. “Robin was saying that you were both thinking of building a house?”  
“Yes,” Regina said, happily. “Probably won’t be until after the baby, since we’ll need more income to start, but that’s the plan. I mean, the flat is lovely for now, but three or more people can’t live there for long.”  
“Well, you’ll definitely have plenty to do with that project. It’s good to see you’ve taken to this life so well,” he said.  
“Did you think I wouldn’t?” Regina asked, turning to him.  
“Well, those first days after you arrived, you seemed a bit in shock.”  
“I supposed I did,” Regina said with a smirk, remembering her reaction to skinning an animal, when she’d never done anything of the sort in her life.  
“And you had just been through a very long journey, so I wasn’t surprised. I’m just glad it’s worked out for you two so well. I’m sorry I couldn’t marry you for real but…”  
“I know,” Regina said, understanding. “Technically, I am still married, even if the King believes me dead. So you can’t really marry us. But thank you for backing us up in the town and letting us say we are. It makes for a more pleasant life I imagine.”  
Tuck chuckled in agreement. They were walking into the village, and as it was late afternoon, the tavern already had some customers.   
“Well, I’ve got to call on a few of the families, but I’m sure I’ll see you soon,” Tuck said, bidding her farewell.  
“Of course,” she said, waving as she walked towards the back of the tavern. She spent some time skinning the bird and preparing to cook it before she went inside and up to her and Robin’s flat.  
She put away her bow and arrows next to Robin’s, and took her overcoat off as it was warmer inside. She went downstairs to find him behind the bar serving a few customers. When they took their pints and moved to a table, she walked over to Robin. He seemed to sense her presence and turned to her.  
“Hello love,” he said, giving her a quick peck on the lips.  
“Hello,” she said back, smiling. “Seems like you’re already popular today.”  
“Business is good,” he said. “How was your hunt?”  
“We’ll have a turkey for dinner,” she said, trying not to sound to proud of herself. But that was harder when his eyes lit up.  
“You’re becoming quite the hunter,” Robin said. “Although perhaps not too much for a few more months,” he said, lightly touching her belly. He had been doing that since she had been able to feel the baby move from the outside. He loved feeling his child move.”  
“You sound like Tuck,” Regina said.  
Before Robin could respond, a few more people came over to buy drinks, so he served them.  
“It’s getting busy,” Regina remarked. “Can I help?”  
“You know I don’t want to make you tire yourself out,” he said. “You’ve already been out for hours, you should rest.”  
“And I keep telling you, I feel fine,” Regina said, rolling her eyes lovingly. “I’m sure I can help you pour a few pints or clean some tables off.”  
“Okay,” Robin relented. “But promise me, you’ll sit down if you get tired.”  
“I promise,” Regina said, grabbing a rag and heading over to wipe down an empty table. She waved a hello to Little John as he came in the door. He waved back to her, but deliberately walked over to Robin, who was cleaning glasses behind the bar.  
Robin recognized the look on his friend’s face almost at once.  
“Unless you’re here for a pint, the answer is ‘no,’” he said, firmly.  
“King Midas’ carriage will be passing through town in a few days, and they’re saying he’ll only have a few guards with him.”  
“I have not so much as lifted a penny since we all came back home. Regina and I are starting a new life; this is a new start for me, and for her. I’ll not go back to the old ways.”  
The tavern’s merry atmosphere suddenly shifted a few minutes later when the door open and someone less welcome came in. The man was the new Sheriff of Nottingham, and he had never liked Robin, even before Robin and his friends had started stealing to survive (and for less noble reasons as well). He certainly wasn’t pleased to see them back in the town. Now that his appointment was official, he seemed determined to make that known.  
“I just had to see this for myself. Robin of Locksley, on the straight and narrow,” he sneered.  
Robin stared him straight in the eyes. Regina looked over from what she was doing, and stood up, but didn’t move towards them.  
“What can I do for you, Sheriff?” Robin asked, attempting to remain politely.  
“I’m just here to tell you that there are some overdue taxes for this place,” the Sheriff said, simply.   
Robin sighed.   
“What are you talking about? I’ve only been back living here a few months, and been running this place since then?”  
“Oh, you don’t know? The man you took this place over from still owed a lot in taxes. When you take over someone’s business, you take over their debt.”  
“Since when is that true?” Regina asked, walking over towards the bar. She looked suspicious.  
“And who is this?” the Sheriff turned to her, bemused.  
“Regina,” she said for herself. “Regina of Locksley,” she continued, firmly. Robin smiled slightly at her calling herself that.  
“How lovely Milady,” the man said, which annoyed her. She may like it when Robin called her ‘Milady,’ but from him it reminded her of the sneers when some of the servants had called her “Your Majesty” when it was clear they didn’t want to.   
“Since when does someone take on another person’s tax debt?” she questioned again, not willing to let it go. “Shouldn’t you still collect anything due from him?”  
The Sheriff paused for a moment, but simply shrugged the question off.  
“That’s how it is in this kingdom. I don’t know where you come from. But I do know that if he doesn’t pay up, I’ll be sending him to the debtor’s prison.”  
Regina’s eyes narrowed in anger. Robin decided to chime back in.  
“I need more time,” he said.  
“You have two days,” he warned. “After that, if you don’t pay, your pretty wife here will have no one to hold her, keep her warm, and look after that child,” he said, pretending to look sympathetic. “But don’t worry dear, I can step in for him…”  
“She’d never be with you,” Robin said.  
“I can tell him myself. I’d never be with you,” she said, angrily. “Or anyone like you,” she continued.  
“Well, when your husband is in jail, and you’re starving, perhaps I’ll start to look a bit more appealing,” he said, annoyed, but determined to make his point.  
“Ha,” Regina laughed cruelly. “You think a lot of yourself don’t you?”  
He paused, looking half intrigued, half nervous at how she stood up to him. Robin also raised his eyebrows slightly, trying to figure out what she was doing.  
“I’ve known men like you my whole life,” she spat. “And I promise you, I would rather rot than be with you.”  
Everyone in the tavern was silent, unable to believe that this young woman they were just getting to know was standing up to the Sheriff. Robin was getting nervous, and reached out to take her hand and calm her.  
“Regina,” he said softly. “It’s alright. We’ll be fine.”  
She seemed to recover herself, and relaxed a bit. She walked around the Sheriff and headed up the stairs to remove herself from the situation.  
“Two days,” the sheriff warned Robin as he turned to walk out of the tavern.  
***  
Later that night, Robin and Regina were up in their flat getting ready for bed.  
“I’m sorry if I made that worse,” Regina said, apologetically.  
“I don’t think you did,” Robin said, honestly. “Nothing you said changed what he was doing anyway. Although, it was interesting to see the Queen come out for a bit,” he said that last part jokingly, but Regina looked down as she pulled the bed covers back to get in.  
“I guess old habits die hard,” she said. “I didn’t realize everyone would expect me to cower from him.”  
“You’re used to having some type of power,” Robin said. “It’s natural you’d fall back on it a bit.”  
“I just don’t want to draw too much attention, and it was going pretty well,” she lamented, lying back against the pillows while Robin continued to undress. “But I remember certain tax laws and none of them mentioned taking on someone else’s tax debt. Although I suppose every kingdom is different.”  
“I don’t think it matters. The man doesn’t like me, and wants me to be miserable. As for not drawing attention, I don’t think it was that bad. Several of the villagers have remarked that you seem to be of higher birth than us by the way you carry yourself already.”  
“Really?” Regina asked, worried.  
“Yes, but I told them you used to work in service to a noble family, so they think it’s just a product of that.”  
“You know, I almost tried to bring some jewels with me in case we needed money quickly, but I didn’t because I was afraid they’d be recognized,” she said as he got into bed with her. He kissed her and said,  
“Don’t worry about it. I promise, we will find a way to make it work. This is just part of being poor.”  
“It’s almost ironic, given how much I benefitted from tax money before,” she said.  
“Well that life is behind you now, and I’m glad for that,” he said, moving to kiss her belly. “And we have two weeks to figure it out. Which from what I hear is generous.”   
“Probably,” Regina agreed, shifting a bit to get comfortable.  
“Is the child moving?” Robin asked, changing the subject.  
It worked. Regina smiled, and moved her hand to her stomach.   
“Not right now,” she said. “Our son or daughter is asleep it seems.” She yawned. “As I’m about to be.”  
She kissed him and then laid back on the pillows. He put the lamp out and then curled up next to her to sleep.  
***  
They managed to pull together enough coins to pay at least some of the taxes. They’d have to hunt for more food, and would be out of some bar stock for a few days, but it would be enough for King Richard (and the Sheriff by extension) to leave them be for awhile. Robin didn’t like it, and it meant they couldn’t restock some supplies for the tavern for a bit, but they decided they’d do it to keep the Sheriff away for awhile until they could do something else about it.  
Robin and Regina were woken early one morning by a frantic knocking on the door of their flat. They both jolted out of bed in surprise. It was still fairly dark out. Robin picked up his bow and arrow as a precaution, although Regina pointed out,  
“If it’s someone trying to hurt us they probably wouldn’t knock.”   
“I’m not chancing it,” Robin said. He opened the door, and found Little John and Will on the other side.  
“Easy there Mate!” Will whispered, jumping back seeing the arrow pointed at him.  
Robin and Regina sighed in relief at the sight of their friends, but that didn’t stop the worry.  
“Why are you banging down our door in the middle of the night?”  
“Because, you both have to get out of here,” Little John explained frantically. “The Sheriff, he’s coming for you.”  
“We have the money John,” Regina explained. “It’s fine, we’ll just pay him.”  
“No, you don’t understand,” Will said. “He’s found out you’re wanted by King Leopold.”  
“What?” Robin said. “It’s been months, how has he found out now?”  
“I don’t know, but we saw him on the road earlier. He had your wanted poster.”  
“Oh god,” Regina whispered.  
“He’ll be coming to arrest you,” Little John said. “I don’t even know if he’ll bother going to King Richard and Prince John first, we came straight here when we saw the poster.”  
“Alright,” Robin said. “We’ll have to…” he paused, knowing there was only one answer.  
“King Richard is friendly with King Leopold,” Regina said. “He’ll turn you over immediately. They’re right, we have to leave,” she continued, reaching over to grab Robin’s satchel to start putting things in it.  
“I have to leave,” he insisted, looking worried. “It’s me who they’ll arrest. You need to stay here.”  
“What?” Regina said. “You think I’m going to let you go alone?”  
“Normally no, but you can’t possibly travel hard now, it would be dangerous,” Robin insisted. “Think of the baby.”  
“I am,” she insisted, continuing to throw some clothes into the bag. “They may be after you now, but if you leave I’m the first they’ll question. It’s not going to take long for them to come to me.”  
“So, you just say you don’t know anything,” Robin started to insist but Regina raised her voice to talk over him.  
“Robin, King Richard has met me before!”   
Robin stopped talking, and the others looked surprised as well.  
“He was a guest at the palace at least twice while I lived there. He was at my wedding. He knows what Queen Regina looked like.”  
“You never said,” Robin began, still surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me that when we came here? If I’d known that risk…”  
“It wasn’t so much of a risk that he might see me as a face among other peasants. We weren’t friends; he didn’t know me that well. But if he were to interrogate me as the supposed wife of the man suspected of murdering King Leopold’s wife? I don’t think it would take long for him to realize who I am. We both have to leave.”  
“She’s right,” Will said. “You won’t be safe here anymore.”  
“Okay,” Robin said, resigned to their fate. “Let’s get going then.”  
They quickly packed two larger bags, one of which was John’s but he told them to keep it, with whatever they could carry. It was mostly food and clothing, but Robin insisted on bringing materials for a small tent. Regina didn’t object, for she didn’t relish sleeping out in the open either.  
The sun was starting to peak over the horizon when they started for the woods. Regina was anxious, and any sign of movement that wasn’t theirs made her uneasy. John and Will helped them carry their things out and walked with them. Robin at one point looked like he was going to tell them they didn’t have to come. One look from Little John silenced him. They were all in this together.   
When they came to the edge of the village, they started hearing hooves coming towards them, and shouting.  
“It’s the Sheriff,” Little John said, drawing his bow and taking an arrow.   
“Worse than that,” Robin said. “He’s got the King’s guards with him.” He drew his bow and arrow back too.  
“Seize them!” Came a shout from the horse crowd as they approached.   
“Regina, you and Will head into the woods now,” Robin said, moving to shield her from them.  
“Robin, I can shoot,” she said, determined not to leave them.  
“But you can’t run quickly right now,” Will insisted, so Robin didn’t have to.  
Regina sighed, knowing he was right. She was practically waddling these days and would be an easy target. So she started walking as quickly as she could into the trees with Will, while John and Robin started shooting at their attackers.  
“Come on, if we get far enough into the trees we’ll be safe undercover,” Will said, taking Regina’s hand to help her up the steep hill.  
“There’s too many of them,” Regina said, worried.   
“As long as they can slow them up, John and Robin will be able to get away. Let’s just get up here.”  
The hike seemed to take a long time until they got to a rocky part where they could hide easily. Regina was holding her belly up, as if it might stop her back from hurting. When Will helped her down as they hid themselves, she couldn’t get into a comfortable position for a time.  
When she managed to prop herself up, she was finally able to catch her breath. Will handed her a canteen of water, which she drank, eagerly.  
“Careful,” he cautioned, “it’s a ways to the river from here.”  
“Sorry, you’re right,” she said, handing it back to him. “Have you hidden here before?”  
“Yes, we’ve never been caught here. Their horses can’t make it up this far.”  
“I wish we’d had time to grab our own horses,” she said, thinking of Rocinante, who had remained at Tuck’s with the Friar’s blessing when they moved to the tavern.  
“We’ll see what the rest of the day brings,” Will said. “John and I might sneak back for them later if need be. It’ll help us get further faster.”  
Regina nodded, listening for any sign that Robin and Little John were nearing them. At first it was a relief to not hear any shouting or fighting, but when she didn’t even hear them running after awhile she began to get worried.  
“You don’t think they were captured do you?” Regina asked, trying to keep her voice from trembling out of fear.  
“I don’t know,” Will said. “But if they were, I feel like we’d hear them hunting us by now.” Will began slowly inching out of the rocky area to see if they were coming. He saw nothing at first, but suddenly there was movement in the distance.   
Regina saw Will shrink back a little and whispered,  
“Is that them? Are they coming?”  
“Shh,” Will cautioned gently. He squinted until he could make out Little John’s form coming through some trees.  
“Yeah, I think it’s them,” he said, standing up more. He could see Robin coming behind Little John and they were jogging through the trees. “Doesn’t look like anyone else is behind them.”  
He stood and started waving his friends over. Regina tried to hoist herself up, but her belly was making it difficult. Will reached down and took her hand to help her up. As she slowly followed him out of the rocky part of the hill top, Robin and Little John reached them. Regina tried to pick up her pace to get to Robin, but ended up tripping and falling into him instead.   
Robin caught her and lowered her to the ground as he sat down. He held her for a few minutes as she continued to embrace him.  
“Are you okay?” she asked, breathing hard.  
“I am. Are you?”  
“Yes,” she promised. “How did you hold them off and get away.”  
Little John answered, as he and Will sat down on the ground with them. Robin kept stroking her hair as she leaned into him.  
“We shot a few in the front once you two were in the woods. When they went down the horses got confused and scared, which held up the rear. The Sheriff was one…”  
“You shot the Sheriff?” Regina asked, half fearful, half hoping.   
“Not fatally,” Robin said. “The arrow hit his shoulder.”  
“Too bad,” Will said.  
“Killing a Sheriff could actually make it worse,” Regina pointed out.  
“She’s right,” Robin said. “So, it slowed them down enough for us to get into the trees, and when there was no one behind us, we climbed into a large fallen log, and waited until they were gone. John threw one of the bags of our food in the opposite direction so they’d have something to follow the wrong way.”  
“But if they had found you, you would have been cornered.”  
“We still had our arrows at the ready. We didn’t want to risk leading them straight to you,” Robin explained.  
“We got lucky it worked,” Little John admitted. “They went down the other path, and we headed further into the forest. The rocks were where we used to hide, so we knew Will would take you there.”  
Regina nodded, glad the almost crisis was averted.   
“Now that they’re out of the way for now,” Robin continued. “We’ll have to decide where to go.”  
“We can live in the forest,” Little John said. “We’ve all done it before.”  
“Not all,” Robin said hesitantly, not wanting to offend Regina, but she waved it off.  
“I’ll have to learn won’t I?” she said. “Neither of us can go back to Nottingham, Robin.”  
He nodded in agreement.  
“Well, we’re with you,” Little John said. “I mean, I have nothing left here.”  
“Nor do I,” Will said.  
After they rested and made sure the guards weren’t coming back into the woods, they began hiking deeper into the woods. The trees were larger and closer together. Regina tried to keep up with them, but she was growing tired more quickly than she used to.   
“We can stop for awhile if you need to,” Robin said, feeling guilty at her discomfort.  
“We’ll never get anywhere if we keep stopping,” she snapped, feeling irritable.   
“I’m sorry,” he said, softly, which stopped Regina from snapping again. She took his hand and squeezed it while continuing to walk.  
“Don’t be,” she said. “I chose this. I choose to be with you. I just want us to be together. And safe preferably, but that will have to wait.”  
Robin held her hand and they continued to walk behind their friends.  
“I was wishing we had taken horses, but they’d never handle this terrain,” Regina admitted as Robin helped her over another rocky hill top.  
“No,” Robin agreed. “But I’m sure Tuck will take care of Rocinante,” he said, looking over at her. Regina sighed. She should have known he would see through to what she really wanted.  
“I know it’s probably stupid…”  
“It’s not,” he said. “You love that horse. I don’t blame you. And hopefully, we won’t have to stay away forever.”  
They stopped to eat some lunch when the sun was at its peak, and Little John suggested they make camp there.  
“It’s as good a place as any, and we’re close enough to Nottingham we can sneak back if we need to.”  
The others agreed and after they finished the meat they’d managed to bring with them, they pitched tents and laid down stuff to sleep on. Robin and Will went hunting while John and Regina stayed to keep watch. Regina was grateful, for she really didn’t relish having to go any further.  
She was fine until later that night when she couldn’t fall asleep. She hadn’t worried about sleeping on the ground at first, as she’d done it the few days she was on the run from palace. But she hadn’t been so heavily pregnant at that point, and now it was impossible to get comfortable enough to sleep. Especially since she had to pee more often than usual.  
Late that night, after Robin had fallen asleep, Regina got up and left the tent to go again. It was when she was on her way back to the tent that she suspected she wasn’t alone. She heard someone walking rather clumsily. She grabbed a bow and arrow and aimed it at what she heard.  
Suddenly, a female voice made a painful sounding noise and a body tumbled out of the trees into the clearing they were sleeping in.  
“Who are you?” Regina demanded. “What do you want?”  
The girl stood up, and Regina gasped as she took in the familiar blond curls and green eyes. She lowered her bow.  
“Tinkerbell?” she asked.  
Tinkerbell didn’t look like herself. She was still wearing green, but darker with trousers instead of her usual short dress. And she looked ragged and exhausted.  
“Hello Regina,” she said. “I’ve been trying to find you.”


	10. The Family Grows

CHAPTER NINE  
Regina stared at her friend.  
“What’s happened? I haven’t seen you since I left.”  
“It’s a long story,” she said. “Do you mind if I stay with you? It’s taken me awhile to find you.”  
“Of course,” Regina said, pointing to the fire place, so her friend could take a seat near it.  
Regina carefully lowered herself to a spot on the ground near the campfire. As Tinkerbell moved into the light, Regina noticed how ragged her friend looked. She wasn’t wearing her usual sparkly clothes, and her hair was a mess. And when the fire light illuminated her completely, Regina gasped when she noticed something else wrong with Tinkerbell.  
“Your wings! They’re…”  
“They’re gone,” she said, sadly.  
“How…?”  
“Blue,” Tinkerbell said, simply. “The Blue Fairy took my wings.”  
Regina stared at her friend in dismay.  
“Was it…was it because of me?” she asked, softly.   
Tinkerbell didn’t answer at first, just stared at the fire.  
“I’m sorry,” Regina said, feeling terrible for her friend.  
“It’s not your fault,” Tinkerbell said. “I mean, I knew what I was doing was risky. But I thought she’d understand when she saw how much I helped you. And I really did want to help you and Robin.”  
“And you did. So, what happened?” Regina asked.   
“After we faked your death, Blue put me on probation. When she’d discovered how much Pixie Dust I’d taken without permission, and then that sleeping potion you took, she said I was hopeless and she didn’t believe in me anymore. So she took my wings,” she explained.  
“For that?” Regina said. “But you’re a good fairy. I mean, I thought fairies were supposed to help people?”  
“So did I,” Tinkerbell said. “But Blue is…well, to be honest, I don’t really know.”  
Suddenly there was movement in the tent behind them and Robin came out.  
“Regina, are you alright?” he asked, before stopping when he saw Tinkerbell. “Tinkerbell, what are you doing here?” he walked over to them, looking worried.  
“The Blue Fairy took her wings because she helped us,” Regina explained regretfully.   
Robin looked stunned for a moment.   
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I mean it, we didn’t want you to get in any sort of trouble.”  
“I know,” Tinkerbell sighed. “But it’s not really your fault.”  
“You’re welcome to stay with us of course,” he said, since he hadn’t heard how the conversation started. “I mean, right now, we don’t have much to offer…”  
“Don’t worry about that,” Tinkerbell smiled. “I’m just glad I’m welcome somewhere.”  
“You don’t think…” Regina said, suddenly worried about something that crossed her mind. “The Blue Fairy, will she tell King Leopold?”   
Robin’s eyes widened at the thought. Tinkerbell shook her head.  
“No, I don’t think so. I mean, for one, she would have done it by now. It would have made the fairies look bad in her mind so she wouldn’t want to admit one of us had done it. And she doesn’t like to interfere in obvious ways.”  
“Obvious?” Robin asked.  
“Well, she never interferes in a way that makes her look like the bad guy,” Tinkerbell explained. “But, she is the reason why the Sheriff came for you. She made sure he saw your wanted poster.”  
Robin sighed.   
“Well, that makes that make sense. It seemed odd for him to have gone all the way there and back.”  
“So he’ll keep hunting us,” Regina said.  
“Yes,” Robin said. “He will. But will she? The Blue Fairy, will she keep making trouble for us?”  
“I doubt it,” Tinkerbell said. “She’s made her point and she’ll move on to something else. As long as there’s no magic around us, she’ll hopefully forget about us.”  
Regina nodded.  
“I haven’t bothered with it since I left.”  
“I can’t use it,” Tinkerbell said, shrugging it off so they wouldn’t continue to feel back.  
The three of them stared at the fire for awhile, not speaking. Eventually, light began shining into the trees as the sun started to rise, and John and Will came out to join them. After reintroductions were made, they started discussing what to do next.  
“We’re outlaws now,” John said, somewhat unhelpfully.   
“It may be back to the old days,” Will agreed.   
Robin put his arm around Regina, and she leaned into him.  
“I’m sorry love,” he said. “I know I promised you a nice quiet life when we ran.”  
Regina gave a soft smile and leaned up to peck his lips.  
“We’re together,” she said. “That’s what I wanted.”  
“We’ll have to find somewhere we can camp for awhile,” Robin said, now to the whole group, determined. “You’re going to have a baby,” he continued just to Regina. “I don’t want you having to run through the woods constantly, it’ll be dangerous for both of you.”  
Regina nodded, but tried not to show her worry.  
***  
As it turned out, things didn’t go too badly at first. They journeyed a bit further into Sherwood Forest and started making a camp. Since Will and John weren’t in quite as much danger, they were able to sneak back to Nottingham for food and supplies to last them a bit. The first time they came back, about a week after they had to run, they came with Friar Tuck, who led Rocinante along with a two other horses.   
The stallion was glad to see his owner, nickering excitedly when she came over to pet him.  
“Hello darling,” she said, stroking his long snout as he nuzzled her round belly.  
“He’s missed you,” Tuck said, smiling.   
“I’ve missed him too,” she said, with the first laugh she’d had since they started living off the forest.  
They all tied the horses up and started organizing their food and weaponry. Tuck and Robin walked a distance to talk while Regina sorted through stuff with John and Will.  
“Will you have enough?” Tuck asked. “I can try to get you more.”  
“You’ve done more than enough for us,” Robin said, shaking his friend’s hand. “This will do for awhile.”  
“If there’s any more I can…”  
“Tuck, I don’t want you to risk your life for us,” Robin said, concerned.  
Tuck put his hands up in mock surrender.  
“I’m just saying, you have friends who will help you,” he said.  
“And we’ll be grateful to you. But don’t risk your life,” Robin said.  
“A fulfilling life is a series of risks Robin,” Tuck said with a smile as he turned back towards the road. “You know that.”  
Robin nodded, smiling back, before turning back to the camp, where Regina, Tinkerbell, and John were trying to put something together for supper.   
Over the next several weeks, they kept moving around little by little, just trying to keep ahead of the Sheriff and King Richards men. Robin and Regina hoped they’d eventually give up so they could settle in a different village. Tinkerbell had suggested trying to get out of King Richard’s kingdom and put more distance between them and King Leopold, but they all agreed it wasn’t possible with Regina so pregnant. Every day it got harder for her to travel, even with her horse, so they only moved if they had too.  
Friar Tuck, and another man from the village who had been a friend of Little John’s, named Alan O’Dale, continued to bring them supplies and keep them up to date, but unfortunately that couldn’t last forever.   
One night, they showed up very late and woke up everyone in the camp. All of them sprung out of bed (Regina struggled a bit, but managed) and found the two exhausted men in the middle of their camp.  
“What happened?” Robin asked as they all took in Tuck and Alan sweating and panting, as though they’d been running for awhile.  
“The Sheriff,” Alan explained. “He found out we were helping you, or he suspected at least.”  
“I think he threatened one of the farmers who was giving me some food,” Tuck said. “He and some of his men were waiting for us on the edge of the forest. We took off in the opposite direction and eventually we lost them.”  
“But when we tried to go back, there were men guarding his house, the church, and my cabin,” Alan continued.   
“And then we had to flee again, and we can’t go back. The Sheriff won’t rest until he gets you,” Tuck said, looking at Robin.   
“Well,” Will said softly. “I guess we’re no worse off than we were.”  
“Not really,” Robin said. “I mean, we can still hunt for meat at least, but…” he paused, realizing that while they probably wouldn’t starve, they wouldn’t be able to get much else without help.  
“Look,” John said. “If we have to steal to survive, we steal. We’ve all done it before.”  
Regina looked at Robin, knowing he wouldn’t love the idea. He had worked so hard to build a new life and leave his thieving days behind.  
“Only if we have to,” Robin conceded, putting his arm around Regina. “I’ll do what it takes for my family.”  
While some may have thought he was talking about Regina, their baby, and himself, Regina knew he was talking about all of them. At that moment, however strangely they all came together, they were family.  
***  
As time continued to pass, it got colder outside, and food was harder to come by. Plants were dying, and animals were hibernating. Robin managed to shoot some animals, but it soon wasn’t enough to feed everyone, and there was barely anything to feed the horses. They had taken to stealing from farms and villages for extra food, something Robin and Regina felt incredibly guilty about.  
They talked about it one day when they were moving on their own. Everyone had split up, to find some food, and to see if they could find anywhere else to stay that was warmer and safer than the woods. Tinkerbell had gone with John and Will, while Alan and Tuck had gone in another direction. Regina had convinced Robin to move closer towards a village, to see if they could find shelter. As they moved, she kept feeling her belly tighten and cramp, but she ignored it, determined to keep moving. It had actually been happening off and on for a few days, but it always went away.  
“When we used to do this,” Robin said, walking alongside Rocinante on the ground while Regina rode aboard her horse. “We would break into houses for coins and jewels, and sometimes we’d rob carriages. I know that that’s not right, but this just feels so much worse.”  
“I know,” Regina responded. “I lived in what most would call luxury for most of my life, and now I’m poor. Stealing from other poor people now feels like a betrayal.”  
“One day we’ll live an honest life again,” he said, turning his head up to look her in the eye. “I promise you.”  
She smiled down at him, but that smile turned into a grimace as her belly cramped in a way that was more painful than it had been before.  
“Ah,” she said, leaning forward slightly. Robin put a hand out to stop Rocinante from continuing to walk, and put his hand up on Regina’s shoulder.  
“Regina,” he began concerned, but she put up her hand to wave him off.   
“It’s okay,” she said, determine. “It will go away. It has to.”  
It suddenly became clear to Robin just how much time may have passed since their escape from the Sheriff. At that time, she’d had around two months to go before she would deliver the baby. He knew weeks had gone by, but maybe more than they had paid attention to.   
“Regina,” he said slowly. “Have you been feeling this way before?”  
“Yes,” she admitted as she started to feel better. “But it’s fine, they always go away,” she continued, trying to convince herself that this was normal. “This one was just stronger.”  
“Regina,” Robin said gently. “Are you sure?”  
Regina opened her eyes again and looked down at his concerned face. Around them, there seemed to be nothing but forest. No, she could not be having this baby now, and she was about to tell him that when she contracted again.  
“No,” she said, in a pleading voice as she almost bend over Rocinante’s neck. “No this can’t be happening now!”  
“It’s okay,” Robin said, although he knew it wasn’t. “Just breathe alright? It’ll be okay.”  
“How?” Regina asked, more nervous now that she was realizing it might really have to happen this way. “How is having our child in the middle of the woods going to be okay?”  
“It’s not, I know, but just try to keep calm. I’ll lead him, just breathe,” Robin conceded as he led the horse through some trees where they came across a small path. It seemed to lead somewhere, so Robin led the horse, who seemed confused as to why his rider was shifting uncomfortably so much more.   
Regina tried to keep her breathing steady, but sitting on the horse seemed like a bad position to be in right now. But walking was definitely out of the question, so she didn’t bring up the idea.  
Robin led Rocinante for another hour down the path, looking to see if there was any place they could hide that would be safe until she had the baby. It was starting to get dark out and Regina was feeling the pains more often and they were lasting longer. Robin knew if he didn’t find something soon, she would have to give birth on the ground. He realized that his knowledge of childbirth wasn’t extensive, but knew the baby wouldn’t just wait.  
“Oh god,” Regina gasped on one that was particularly painful. Robin looked back and saw that she was starting to fall from Rocinante’s back. He quickly, dropped the reins and backed up to catch her, and lowered her to the ground. She was breathing harshly as he helped her sit down.  
“Do you think you’re close?” Robin started to ask but Regina shook her head quickly as another contraction hit her and she struggled to breathe through it.  
“Well, I don’t know really. But I’m guessing…” she started but then stopped as she suddenly realized her trousers were wet.  
She looked down and saw that her water had in fact broken.   
“They said once that happens, the child is definitely coming,” she said, telling him what the village midwives had told her. “I remember that much.”  
Robin rubbed her back for a moment and looked around for anything that could offer them some form of shelter. And, through the trees, he could make out what looked like a barn.  
“Okay, there’s a place where we can at least be out of the cold. I’m going to get you over there, do you see it?” he asked, pointing.  
Regina turned her head to look, saw the barn, and nodded.  
Robin lifted her as gently as he could and started moving towards the barn. Rocinante, the loyal horse that he was, followed them quietly.  
There was no one outside, and the barn door thankfully wasn’t locked, so Robin got Regina inside quickly, and laid her down on a mound of straw that was probably waiting to be spread. He took off Rocinante’s saddle and removed the blanket over him, to give Regina something else to lie on. He shut the door to keep out the elements, and went over to her.  
“I know it’s not ideal,” he said.   
“We’re not outdoors anymore,” Regina said, breathing through yet another contraction. “At this point, I’ll take it.”  
He helped her remove her trousers and let her cover herself with it so she wouldn’t be too cold. Not much changed over the next hour, except for the contractions getting stronger. Robin helped Regina walk around what parts of the barn weren’t occupied with animals because that seemed to help the pain. Thankfully, the animals stayed quiet, and the people who lived on this farm weren’t alerted to the presence of strangers.  
After Regina walked around for a bit, she lied on her side on the blanket and breathed deeply. She was trying hard to be brave, and gratefully leaned on Robin when he sat beside her.   
“What are we going to do?” she asked, nervously. “If we’re caught…”  
“I won’t let anything happen to either of you,” he said. “I promise you that.”  
Regina knew he truly meant that promise, but wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep it if the owners caught them. But she didn’t have time to think too hard because more painful contractions began.   
Time passed, they weren’t sure how long, although for Regina it felt like hours of painful contractions. Despite neither of them ever having witnessed a child birth before, they felt it must be close. Robin snuck out at one point over to the nearby well to get her some water and it lasted her for a time.  
“It must be close now.”  
Regina just nodded, still trying to get some water down. Suddenly, outside, they both heard Rocinante start whinnying in fear, and a female voice shouted out,  
“Whose there!”  
“Oh god,” Regina gasped in both fear and pain. She had never been in such a vulnerable position and it had just gotten more dangerous.  
“Just keep breathing,” Robin coaxed, although he was clearly worried. He stood up with his hands raised as the woman who was outside opened the barn door and came in. She had dark hair, a fierce expression, and was carrying a knife.   
“Who are you? What do you want?” she demanded.   
“I’m sorry for trespassing,” Robin said calmly, although Regina could hear the worry in his voice. “But we aren’t here to harm you…”  
“Then you’re here to steal,” she said.  
“No, we aren’t…” Robin said, as Regina felt another pain that caused her to cry out.   
“What’s wrong with her?” the woman asked, concern penetrating into her guarded voice.   
“She’s having a baby,” Robin said, at the same time she seemed to figure it out by the quick intake of breath that Regina heard through her concentration. “We needed some shelter, and this was the first place I saw.”  
“Okay,” the woman said, backing out of the barn and running off.  
As Regina was now feeling almost constant pain, she simply hoped the girl was leaving them alone as she tried to focus through her pain. Robin kissed her forehead.  
“You’re going to be alright?” he whispered in her ear.  
“I hope so,” Regina said as she rode through yet another strong one.  
“Is there anything else I can do?” Robin asked, moving behind her to support her back.   
“I don’t think so,” she said. “But thank you.”  
“I love you,” Robin whispered in her ear.  
Regina squeezed the hand that was gripping hers and got ready as she felt another contraction. Suddenly the barn door opened again, and the dark haired woman was back with an older woman.  
“They’re in here,” Regina heard her say and tensed up as they approached her.  
“Okay dear,” the older woman said softly as she knelt before Regina. “My name is Rebecca, and this is my daughter, Marian. I’m a midwife.”  
Regina nodded. Seeing she might be in too much pain to talk, Robin asked.  
“You can help?”  
“Yes, and I will. Dear, I need to check how far you are okay?”  
Regina nodded, and somewhat reluctantly let the older woman look between her legs.  
“Okay, we still have a little time, but you’re very close,” Rebecca said comfortingly. “Marian, I want you to get some water, and then go into the house and make up the bed. You,” she turned to Robin. “I normally wouldn’t move her at this point, but this is no place to give birth. Can you carry her to the house?”  
“Yes,” Robin said, moving so he could gently lift Regina. “And you’re right, we just…didn’t know where to go.”  
He lifted her as he had when they were in the forest. Regina groaned a bit in pain.  
“It’s not far,” Robin said, trying to soothe her although he knew it was probably pointless.  
“If we hadn’t gotten here now, we probably couldn’t have moved her at all,” Rebecca explained as they walked towards a small house.   
It was warmer inside due to a fire, and it was small but would probably seem cozy if they weren’t focused on something more immediate.   
Marian guided them into the back bedroom.  
“She can lie here,” she said, more kindly than before, gesturing to the bed.   
He did as she said and tried to help Regina get somewhat comfortable although that proved to be nearly impossible. As she was groaning, Rebecca came into the room to check her again.  
“Alright, you should feel like pushing soon. You should probably wait outside,” Rebecca said to Robin. “It shouldn’t be much longer.”  
“No!” Regina said firmly. “Please, Robin, don’t leave me.”  
Robin simply gripped her hand tighter and said “Never.”  
“Please, let him stay,” Regina said to Rebecca.   
“Alright, alright,” she said. “It’s unusual, but we don’t have time to argue. Now, you should start pushing.”  
Regina followed everything else the woman told her, while Robin supported her. She thought the pain couldn’t get worse but after a few tries she didn’t feel like she could do it anymore. She really just wanted this to be over.  
“You can do it, Regina,” Robin encouraged after about twenty minutes when she felt like she was dying. Marian kept handing him damp cloths to keep bathing her face with to cool her off.   
“He’s right,” Rebecca said. “I can see the head. Give me just one or two more.”  
“You said that last time,” Regina said, but begrudgingly started pushing again.   
Finally, at long last, their baby was born, letting out a healthy cry on the way. Regina sighed in relief as her labor ended, and Robin kissed her head before they both were able to see their child.  
“It’s a boy,” Rebecca said smiling.  
Marian handed her mother a smaller blanket to wrap the infant in, who then handed him over to his parents, who got lost in looking at their new son.  
“He’s perfect,” Regina said, crying with joy now instead of pain as she cradled him close.  
“He is,” Robin said, gazing at his son. “I love you. Thank you.”  
“For what?” Regina said, breaking her gaze on her baby boy to look at him.  
“You’ve given me the most wonderful gift. Let’s face it, you did the work here.”  
Regina laughed and pecked his lips before turning back to the sleeping infant.  
“What should we call him?” Robin asked. “We never settled on names.”  
But Regina knew exactly what she wanted to name her first born son.   
“I want to name him Henry. After my father,” she told him.  
Robin smiled.  
“Henry of Locksley it is,” he said, kissing his son’s forehead and then Regina.  
Even though neither of them were really sure what they would do next and when they would get back to the rest of their family, it was still a perfect moment as they welcomed the child that had led them here.


	11. Peace Never Lasts

CHAPTER TEN  
As usual in their new life, peace couldn’t last very long. The next morning, Marian’s father Richard returned home. At first he hadn’t minded when his daughter had told him the story of the woman in labor that had needed their help, and her husband. In fact, he was very kind.  
“I’m glad Rebecca and Marian were here to help you,” he said kindly when he got over his surprise. “I would hate for your baby to have been outside all night.”  
“Thank you,” Robin said again as he shook the man’s hand after being introduced. “I promise, we won’t impede on your hospitality for long.”  
Richard had waved that off with a smile and admired the sleeping baby boy in Regina’s arms. They spent the next few days in peaceful and pleasant company, but on the third day that peace was torn apart. Rebecca was sitting with Regina in the back bedroom, advising her on nursing baby Henry, when the two women heard the sound of many hooves approaching from outside. Robin suddenly came through the door, looking worried. Marian was behind him, looking confused.  
“It’s the Sheriff,” he said, breathlessly.   
Regina momentarily froze in fear as Rebecca stood up and left the room to take a closer look.  
“Did he see you?” Regina asked when she recovered herself.  
“I don’t think so, I saw him from the window and ducked away,” Robin answered, although that didn’t put either of them at ease.   
“Wait, is the Sheriff after you?” Marian asked from the doorway.  
“Well, we knew he wouldn’t give up that easily,” Regina said, as Robin took Henry from her and put him on his shoulder to burp him.   
This didn’t answer Marian’s question, so she continued,  
“I’ll take that as yes then, but why? Is that why you were in our barn?”  
“Yes,” Regina admitted. She decided to give Marian a small version of the truth. “He believes Robin guilty of a crime, so we left.”  
Marian looked weary, as did Richard who had overheard this part of the conversation.   
“What type of crime?”  
“He didn’t do it,” Regina insisted, but she was interrupted by a knock on the door.  
“That’ll be them,” Rebecca said from the other room.  
“We’ll close the door, he may just be here for tax money,” Richard said, hesitantly.   
He did shut the door, and Robin and Regina were left alone with an infant who was starting to fuss at the most inopportune time.  
“Okay Henry, we need you to be quiet now,” Robin whispered to the baby gently as he sat down next to Regina.  
Regina reached over and stroked the baby’s cheek, and while he wasn’t crying loudly, he continued to fuss. Robin handed him to Regina, whispering,  
“I’m going to listen at the door,” he said. Henry’s fussing was making it hard to hear and he needed to know what was going on. Regina nodded and started rubbing Henry’s back some more, remembering what Rebecca said about how to soothe her son.  
When Robin got over to the door, he heard the Sheriff’s voice saying,  
“Your taxes are overdue,” which was a phrase he seemed to love saying.  
Robin expected Richard to answer, but to his surprise, Marian was the one who spoke of.  
“We know Sheriff, but it wasn’t a very successful season this year. I’m sure you can understand,” she said, softly but firmly.   
“Well, the King will not wait forever, and I would hate to see your family lose their farm, Marian,” said the Sheriff.  
“We have some of the money,” Richard said, and there was a jingling noise as though he was handing over some coins. “We just need more time for the rest.”  
“Well, in the spirit of good will, I’ll take that for now,” the Sheriff said.  
“Thank you,” Rebecca chimed in.  
Robin was shocked, and when he looked back at Regina, she did too.  
“Well,” the Sheriff continued. “I would just hate to see Marian with no one to provide for her. She deserves the best.”  
Robin rolled his eyes, suddenly it made more sense.  
“Of course she does,” Richard said, his voice guarded.  
“Also, I must ask before I go. There’s a fugitive who has been running through the forest, he may have passed through here,” the Sheriff said, and Robin heard what sounded like paper shuffling. “You haven’t seen this man have you?”  
There was a pause and all three of them said ‘no’ at once.   
“Are you sure?” he asked, firmly.  
“Yes, of course,” Marian said. “We haven’t seen anyone who looks like that.”  
Just as they were thinking they were safe and unheard, Henry started crying for seemingly no reason at all. Robin looked over at his son and quietly moved towards him and Regina. Neither of them wanted to make their own noise by shushing him, but bouncing her and rocking him didn’t have an immediate effect.  
“What’s that?” the Sheriff’s voice said. “I didn’t know there was a child living here.” He suddenly sounded suspicious again, but Robin wasn’t sure if that was to do with them. Then again, Regina had been visibly pregnant when they left for Sherwood Forest.   
“Oh, it’s my niece’s baby,” Rebecca said quickly. “She came to stay with us for her delivery because her husband’s gone away. I’ll go and see to them now.”  
There was the sound of footsteps and Rebecca came around the corner and into the back room.  
“Sorry,” both Regina and Robin mouthed. But she waved them off.  
“Don’t worry,” she whispered, kneeling down next to the baby. “It’ll be fine. The man likes my daughter and tries to keep in my husband’s good graces, even if otherwise he’s an arse. And if he comes in here, you just jump into the wardrobe.”  
Since the Sheriff was likely to recognize Regina, that wouldn’t necessarily help, but they decided not to say anything. It wasn’t likely the Sheriff would see any reason to barge in on a woman who had recently given birth, since it was somewhat of a social taboo. Rebecca used her voice softly to help Regina soothe the baby, since the new mother had to be silent just in case.  
“Well,” they heard the sheriff still talking. “Keep your eyes open. He’s very dangerous, and he’s wanted for murder and treason. As you can see, there is a very large reward for his capture.”  
Rebecca stopped singing as she froze at those words. Robin and Regina both straightened up with nerves as they braced themselves for what could happen next. Regina started shaking her head frantically, both trying to beg her to stay silent, and to tell her Robin didn’t do what he was being accused of. Robin looked down so as not to scare her further.  
Rebecca didn’t speak, and Henry began to stop his crying and settle down. They heard the door closed and knew the Sheriff was gone. Marian and Richard came inside and there was awkward silence for a few moments.  
Regina broke it.  
“He didn’t do what the Sheriff said,” she said firmly, taking one hand off Henry to take Robin’s. “He didn’t murder anyone.”  
“And the treason?” Richard asked, looking less friendly than he had before, but more weary than angry.  
“The murder I’m accused of is a royal one. But since I didn’t commit the murder, I didn’t really commit treason,” Robin said softly.  
“This says you’re wanted for murdering King Leopold’s queen,” Marian said, looking at the poster more closely.   
“I know,” Robin said. “But I didn’t. They think I did because my magic trick went wrong.”  
In an effort to reassure them that they hadn’t invited a murderer into their home, Robin told them an abbreviated version of the truth, while Regina nodded along. They didn’t want to tell them that she really was the Queen, so she didn’t act like she had been there.  
“The Queen had enjoyed being a part of the show when my old employer did a performance at the palace. So when I came back to do my own, I decided to make her disappear. I even asked her privately after the dinner they had with us. She agreed.”  
“And she died from it?” Richard asked, understandably suspicious.  
“Honestly,” Robin said, carefully moving into the part that wasn’t true. “I don’t know how it could have killed her. I’d done the trick quite a few times, and nothing bad ever happened. They’d disappear like they were supposed to and then they’d be transported back. I don’t know what happened to her. But if she was murdered, I wasn’t the one who did it.”  
Marian seemed to believe him and nodded slowly. Regina stayed silent, clutching her now sleeping baby, but caught Marian’s eyes and nodded.  
“He’s telling the truth,” Regina said sincerely. “They blamed him because there was no one else they could think of.”  
“So after I escaped we decided to go back to my home and simply start a new life. I was hoping they’d find out how she really died and move on from me,” Robin said, still thinking on his feet. “But of course, they didn’t.”  
The family didn’t say anything more, and they looked more concerned than angry or frightened of them.  
“Look,” Robin said. “I’ve definitely done things in my life that I’m not proud of. But I promise you, murdering a queen isn’t one of them. Or, murdering anyone for that matter. I know you don’t really have a reason to believe me…”  
“I believe you,” Marian said. “If you were a dangerous person, we’d have seen a sign of it by now, I’m sure.”  
“So do I,” Rebecca agreed. “I don’t really know why, the story is definitely a bit odd. But I believe you didn’t kill anyone.”  
Her father nodded.  
“I can believe you didn’t actually murder the Queen. I’ve never trusted the Sheriff about anything to be honest. But the fact is, whether you are guilty or not, we will be in danger if he ever finds out you were here.”  
Robin and Regina both nodded, knowing it was true.   
“So, I’m sorry, but you can’t keep staying here,” he said firmly, if slightly regretfully.   
“Richard,” Rebecca interrupted. “She can’t travel this soon after giving birth. It’s too dangerous, for her and the babe.”  
“It’s too dangerous for them to stay,” Richard said. “If the Sheriff is showing that image all around the village, and anyone has seen him near here…” he didn’t need to finish his thought.  
“And,” Rebecca began apologetically, “when I went to the market the other day, I mentioned we had visitors. I didn’t think anything of it.”  
“Of course you didn’t,” Regina said, softly. “It’s not like we gave you any reason to.”  
Robin was looking at the floor, contemplating something he wished he didn’t have to. These people had been kind to them, and had kept his family safe in a vulnerable situation. He couldn’t put them in danger.  
In silence, he looked up at Regina, who looked anxious but as she met his eyes, she nodded reluctantly. They didn’t have to speak about it. She and Henry couldn’t travel yet, but he could.  
“I don’t want to put your family in danger,” he said. “Especially not with how much you’ve helped us. But you’re right that Regina shouldn’t travel this soon.”  
“Robin, maybe I can…” Regina said, desperate not to be separated from her soul mate again. But she stopped. Even if she could make herself do it, Henry would not able to travel.  
“No you can’t,” Rebecca interrupted, echoing Regina’s thoughts. “It’s out of the question for you to travel, you only just gave birth. If you wait a week or so, you should be fine, but right now it’s too dangerous. Do you honestly think you can ride a horse right now, or walk a long distance?”  
Regina didn’t answer, just tried to stop tears from forming. If she was honest with herself, the idea of walking or riding for any period sounded like torture. And then there was Henry. He was so little, how would she care for him if they were going to have to live out of doors with the weather getting colder?  
“Exactly,” Rebecca said.   
“But I will leave you,” Robin said. “If she can stay here safely until she can join me, I will leave tonight.”  
Richard looked like he was having a war with himself, crossing his arms, uncrossing them, and putting a hand to his face.  
“Was Regina on that poster, or just me?” Robin asked, although he knew the answer.  
“Just you,” Marian said. “It didn’t say anything about who you might be with.”  
“So he’ll only be looking for me, not anyone else. And even if he comes back and recognizes her, you can pretend you found her alone and she stayed silent,” Robin suggested.  
“And it’s not like he knows all of our relatives,” Marian said, agreeing with Robin. “For all he knows, she could be my cousin.”  
While it was still risky, everyone reluctantly agreed for their own reasons that it was the most viable solution. Robin stayed until dusk so he could leave under the cover of darkness, and Rebecca insisted on sending him with some previsions like bread, cheese, and a water skin.  
The family stayed back as Robin said goodbye to Regina and Henry. He held his son close to his body for a few minutes, trying not to let tears fall about leaving him so soon.  
“I love you my boy,” he whispered into the baby’s wisps of hair. He reached out to Regina, who moved in closer to him and he embraced them both. “I’ll send you messages to let you know where I am. And as soon as it’s safe for you, I’ll come get you both.”  
“Don’t be too long,” she said, crying softly. “Rebecca said I should be able to go soon.”  
“I won’t be,” he promised, kissing her. They let their lips linger with each other for longer than usual, and then Robin forced himself to separate from her. “I love you,” he said, handing Henry back to her.  
Marian had brought Rocinante out of the barn, and Robin moved to mount him while Regina stroked his snout for a moment before backing up to wave goodbye as he rode off.  
Rocinante however, seemed to have other ideas. He moved forward towards the woods at first but quickly realized his regular rider wasn’t coming. He started whinnying in annoyance and kept trying to turn around.  
“Oh come on, what are you doing boy?” Robin said, getting exasperated. The horse started whinnying more frantically and nearly reared up. Robin dismounted and grabbed the horse’s reins. Regina worriedly walked over slowly.   
“What’s wrong with you?” Robin asked, softly.   
“He didn’t seem lame or anything when I brought him out,” Marian said, worriedly.  
The horse turned to Regina as she moved closer, and whinnied at her. He nudged her with his snout.   
“What’s wrong darling?” Regina said softly.  
“Seems like he doesn’t want to leave you,” Richard said, coming closer to them. “Has he been with you longer?”  
“He’s been with me for years,” Regina said, reaching a hand out to stroke his neck while balancing her son in the crook of her other arm.   
“They get like that with the people they bond with,” Richard said. “He may not let you stay without him.”  
“I guess I’m going on foot then, if he’s going to throw me off,” Robin said, starting to adjust his quiver and his satchel, so he could carry them easier  
“Wait a moment,” Richard said, to their surprised  
He walked back over to the barn and went inside for a few minutes. Marian and Rebecca looked at each other, puzzled. Richard came back, leading his brown mare out of the barn.  
“Take Celia here. She’s still a bit young, but she’s reliable.”  
“No,” Robin said, shaking his head. “I’m not going to take your horse from you.”  
“You’re borrowing her. When you come back to get Regina, you’ll return her and take your own horse back.”  
“You’ve done enough for us already,” Robin protested. “I mean, I walked most of the way here…”  
“Robin,” Regina said. “It will be better if you have a horse.”  
“Please, we insist,” Rebecca said, as her daughter and husband nodded along. “You’ll bring her back.”  
“I will,” Robin conceded, taking the mare’s reins and preparing to mount up. He paused for a second and kissed Regina’s lips and then Henry’s head one more time before mounting and riding off. Celia carried him away without protest, and Regina watched until they were out of sight.  
As she watched her love and soul mate ride away from her, Regina couldn’t help but let out a sob. She turned her head away from the family in feeble hopes they wouldn’t notice, but Rebecca put her arm around her and began to lead her back to the house. Marian followed them inside while her father went to lead Rocinante back to the barn.  
“It’s alright dear, you’ll see him soon,” she whispered in Regina’s ear as she led her back indoors.   
“I am sorry to separate you,” Richard said, looking slightly guilty when Regina looked back at him, standing with her horse.  
“Please don’t be,” Regina said through her tears. “I understand. It’s just, I was hoping we wouldn’t have to be after I had the baby. We wanted to settle down and have a normal life, and now…”  
“And you may have that one day, even if you all have to go far from here,” Rebecca said, as she helped her into a chair. “But right now that isn’t safe for you and Henry.”  
As if on cue, Henry woke up and started crying in his mother’s arms. Regina was getting better at figuring out which cry meant what.  
“I think he’s hungry,” she said, shifting her clothes so her son could suckle her breast.  
“I think you’re right,” Marian said with a smile as she watched the new mother with her infant.   
“You know,” Regina said, almost unwillingly but needing to express her thoughts. “Sometimes I’m afraid I won’t be able to do this. It’s why I don’t really want to do it alone.”  
“What? Nurse your baby?” Rebecca said, confused.  
“No,” Regina said. “Be a mother, in general. My own, well, she wasn’t much of a mother, and I want to be better for Henry.”  
“You seem to be taking to it well so far,” Marian said. “And you won’t be alone. He’s going to come back for you and we’ll be here in the meantime.”  
Regina gave a limp smile at the young woman.  
“Thank you,” she said. “Really.”  
“If you rest and recover, you can probably go within a week or two,” Rebecca said. “You’re already a good mother, doing what’s best for her baby even though it’s hard. Don’t fret too much. Relax for now, you’re safe here.”  
Rebecca went outside then to grab some water from the well for boiling. Marian stayed with her for a few minutes.  
“You know, in spite of everything you’ve been through, which I know has been hard, I rather envy you,” Marian said, looking a bit sheepish.  
“Do you?” Regina said surprised. Plenty of people had envied her when she’d married King Leopold and become Queen, but no one had envied the bar keeper’s wife, and certainly no one envied the outlaw’s wife that she could tell.  
“I’ve always hoped that I would meet someone who would love me that much,” Marian confessed. “I want to have what you both have, but it hasn’t happened for me yet.”  
Regina couldn’t help but smile at her.  
“There was a time I thought I would never have it too,” she said. “You just may find it yet.”  
“I hope so,” Marian said, a rather dreamy look in her eyes.  
“Do you have anyone in mind?” Regina asked as she shifted again to burp Henry.  
“No,” Marian said honestly. “No one’s caught my eye yet, although I’ve caught theirs apparently.”  
“What like the Sheriff,” Regina said, jokingly.  
Marian rolled her eyes.  
“You picked up on that huh?” she asked.   
“It was hard not to,” Regina said. “We could hear what he was saying.”  
“He’s awful,” Marian said, rolling her eyes. “But him liking me keeps him off my father’s back a bit, so I don’t tell him off.”  
“You shouldn’t have to do that,” Regina said, hating the idea.  
Marian shrugged.   
“I know,” she agreed. She turned her head as they heard her parents talking as they into the house. “Let’s not say more about it. I don’t want to upset them about the Sheriff further,” she whispered.  
Regina nodded, and smiled at her hosts when they came in. Rebecca made everyone some tea and started a more light hearted conversation than the ones before. Regina went along with it, realizing that having a pleasant time with new friends was better than wallowing.  
She looked at the clear night out the window and simply prayed that Robin would stay safe until they were together again. Which she also prayed would not be long.


	12. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina and Robin struggle with separation and reunite.

Hello everyone! I apologize for the long hiatus! I was honestly intending a chapter every month, but then I started taking a TEFL course online and that took up a majority of the time I usually put aside for writing. That's nearly done now so I should be able to update more frequently. I have a few other fics in mind as well that may get put up this summer as well.

Not going to lie, I was very angry at Robin's death on the show and wasn't really up to writing fic for a bit because of that as well, which is why it has taken me even longer to get this chapter up. But I've found a new determination as I've come to terms with the fact that from here on out, fanfiction is all Outlaw Queen fans really have now.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Robin followed the path back towards where he and Regina had first separated from their friends. He travelled for awhile, recognizing some distinctive trees and rocks as he went further along, but it was soon dark enough that it was hard to tell. He was half hoping he’d run into one of their friends on the way, but was actually relieved not to run into anyone. The only trouble they ran into was Celia spooking at a few animals that ran past them. Once she was back under control, Robin urged her to move on.

“How far did we actually go?” He asked himself out loud. Celia snorted. “Yeah, well, you don’t know either,” he scolded her, holding his lantern out in front of him to see better.

After some more time passed, he figured he had to be getting closer, as he and Regina couldn’t have been moving for more than a few hours.

“Must be getting closer,” he muttered to himself. And then, when he held the lantern up a bit, he saw the rocks they’d been hiding behind days before. He stopped Celia and hopped off her back to walk over. It was quiet, and there seemed to be no one in sight. As he saw no signs of anyone having ever been there, he started to doubt his memory until his eye caught something in the distance.

He held his lantern up and squinted. He saw a green ribbon, dark enough to not be too noticeable even in daylight, tied to a high branch of a tree on the right side of the hill. On a hunch, Robin led Celia slowly down the rocky terrain towards that tree at the bottom. He passed the tree and kept following the new path. He saw an arrow stuck in another tree further down and had no doubt that was a sign to follow.

Robin followed some more of these little clues, which led him off the path and deeper into the forest. Eventually, he saw a flickering light looked like it was coming from a campfire. As he moved further towards it, he came into a well hid clearing where the tents had been put up. Through the trees, Robin saw Will sitting at the campfire, poking it with a stick. As Robin led Celia closer, Will looked up at the sound of something coming and drew his weapon.

“Show yourself!” Will demanded.

“It’s alright Will!” Robin said, putting his hands up. “It’s just me.”

“Robin?” his friend said, his voice sounding relieved.

“It’s me,” Robin said, moving towards his friend, relieved to be back.

They embraced each other and then heard other movement as the others came out of tents, since they had heard the noise. John, Tinkerbell, Tuck, and Alan came out of tents, looking confused and then overjoyed to see their friend back. At first, their voices got loud in both the excitement of reunion and concern for where Regina was, but the howling of wolves made them quiet down.

“Regina’s alright,” Robin said, as they all sat down around the dying fire. “She’s had the baby. We have a son,” he explained happily to their gasps of delight. He continued explaining whom they had met and where Regina and Henry had stayed.

“Regina and Henry should be fine to travel in a week or so, and I’ll go back for them then,” he finished explaining. “But what’s happened here? You’ve had to move quite a ways.”

“Well, we managed to get some meat and other food, but when we came back they had found where we were staying before, so we had to run,” John said.

“The Sheriff followed us for a bit,” Tink said, gesturing to her and Tuck. “But eventually we lost them and got far enough into the woods that their horses couldn’t move as quickly.”

“Once we all found each other again, we decided we’d better move on to somewhere else quickly,” Will said.

“And when you and Regina didn’t come back, we worried you may have been captured, but we decided to put markers out so you could follow us later,” Alan ended the story.

“I’m glad you did,” Robin said. “I don’t think I would have found you for days otherwise, and I’m fairly good at tracking.”

“That’s what we thought,” Will said. “It’s as good a place to hide as any for now.”

And it was. Over the next few days they were able to hunt and gather undisturbed. Robin set up his own tent, trying to add to it so there would be room for him, Regina, and Henry. Unfortunately they only had so much fabric to make tents with, so right now he was stuck with a small one, but they were still able to come up with more of a settlement than before.

Will came back one day with some chickens and a goat, with a “please don’t ask” look on his face. Robin narrowed his eyes, and asked anyway.

“Where did you get them Will?” he asked, suspiciously.

“A farm nearby,” Will said. “Robin, we need some meat we won’t have to chase after,” he continued defensively after his friend glared at him.

“I’m sure those farmers have need of their animals,” Robin said, although he knew Will was right. Winter was slowly approaching, and while hunting wouldn’t be impossible, eggs and milk were needed in case they couldn’t get meat. Not to mention they could kill these ones if need be.

“Do you want to risk Regina and your son starving?” Will asked, exasperated.

“Of course not, but…”

“Next time we rob a carriage, we’ll go and leave that farm some gold,” Little John intervened. “Okay, Robin?”

Robin could think of no better solution at this point, so he nodded in agreement. Will took the animals over towards a tree and tied up the goat. The chickens didn’t go far when he threw some seed down for them, and started making a make-shift pen for them.

Robin turned back toward the woods, hoping Regina and Henry were still okay, even though his heart told him they were. He shivered as he felt the wind pick up, and was even gladder they were indoors, and that Marian and her family had been so generous.

Tuck suddenly came into the clearing, carrying a deer he’d shot. He set it down to start skinning it when he got closer to the campfire. Robin sat down to join him.

“We’ll need to cook this up,” Tuck said. “It’ll keep awhile though.”

“Yes, we should do fine. Will brought us some chickens and a goat that he procured from a farm.”

Tuck sighed.

“Normally I’d be against it, but we’re going to need food. God forgive me,” he said, crossing himself. “There’s a storm coming,” he continued. “I can feel it in the air.”

“I know, I can feel it too. I just hoped I’d never have to go back to stealing.”

“It’s just for now,” Tuck said, continuing to skin the deer.

The rest of the day was spent preparing for the storm they could tell was coming with the way the wind was picking up. First they had to find a better shelter for them and the animals. Tinkerbell had found an abandoned barn that wasn’t too far away, so they had a place to wait out the actual storm together.

They sat there through the night, listening to the howling of the wind and huddling together to stay warm. Part of Robin really wished Regina and Henry were here in his arms, and another part of him was glad to know they had better shelter elsewhere. Now that they had a baby, he was going to have to figure out how they could hide out long term. They had gotten lucky this time, but after this there would have to be a better plan.

When the storm abated and the weather calmed down, Robin quickly prepared to make his way back to the farm to find her. He wasn’t going to leave them alone any longer than he needed to.

***

Regina sat on her temporary bed, holding Henry as he suckled at her breast. She sighed as she looked at the snow falling harshly outside.

“I hope Papa and the others found shelter,” she said to her baby, sadly. “God I hope so.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Marian said as she came into the room carrying a bowl of stew. She sat down next to Regina and put the bowl on the bedside table. If he lived in the woods before, I’m sure he knows how to handle a blizzard.”

“I know,” Regina said, shifting Henry to her shoulder now that he was done eating. “I just hate that it happened right when I could have started riding back with him.”

“It’s the way of the world it seems,” Marian said. “Do you want me to hold him so you can eat?” she asked, reaching for Henry.

“Thank you,” Regina said, handing Henry to her after he’d burped. She ate the lamb stew slowly, savoring it. “This is delicious.”

“There’s more if you want. My parents will be stranded at my aunt’s farm until the storm is over, so it’s just us sharing it.”

“Well I’m glad they weren’t caught out in it at least,” Regina said, between bites.

“I know,” she said. “You know, there’s no need to eat so royally when sitting on the bed you know.”

Regina looked over at her, confused and nervous. Why had she said ‘royally?’

Marian giggled a bit at her expression.

“It’s just, my father keeps saying you always manage to carry yourself like a queen.”

She looked away suddenly very nervous. She was able to recover herself quickly, but not fast enough to escape Marian’s notice. Regina saw her new friend looking at her strangely, with a rather contemplative expression.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, concerned. “It was only a joke.”

“Oh, I know,” Regina said hurriedly, putting her nearly empty bowl aside and reaching over to take her baby back. Henry quickly snuggled into his mother’s breast while Regina looked away from Marian.

When she finally looked back, Regina saw Marian’s eyes had widened and were staring at her.

“Oh my god,” she said. “I can’t believe I was actually right. Wasn’t I?”

“Right?” Regina asked, still more nervous.

“Um, I had this fleeting thought, after the Sheriff came. When you and Robin were explaining what happened and why he was after you. You were so insistent that he hadn’t assassinated King Leopold’s Queen. For a moment, I thought that the only way you could really know that is if, well, you were her. But then I thought I must be crazy, that there was no way something like that could be pulled off.”

Regina didn’t speak at first, biting her lip nervously. She could only look Marian, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

She could deny it. It WAS a ridiculous notion, or would have been in it weren’t true. But the woman’s eyes were caring, and Regina found herself sighing and simply saying,

“No one can know. Ever.”

Her voice shook as she said it. Marian seemed like she could be trusted, but then again, so had Snow.

“But yes. I was the Queen,” she continued, emphasizing the ‘was.’

Marian nodded slowly, as though she still hadn’t been completely sure until now.

“Of course,” she said.

“No, really,” Regina said, her voice less shaky now that she had resigned herself to honesty. “No one can every know who I was. For any reason, no matter how good it might seem, you can never tell anyone.”

“I won’t,” Marian said, more firmly. “I promise, I won’t even tell my parents.”

“Thank you,” Regina breathed, clutching her baby tighter. I’m sorry, it’ just, I trusted someone else with a life or death secret once. And they betrayed me.”

“Oh,” Marian said, surprised. “I’m sorry, that’s terrible.”

“I just…I can’t bear to lose someone else I love,” she said.

“Can I ask?” Marian said, looking sympathetic but confused.

“Yes,” Regina said, and simply began telling the story, feeling relieved to finally be letting it out. She told Marian about Daniel, Snow telling Cora, his subsequent murder, and her forced marriage. She even confessed to dabbling in a bit of dark magic before Tinkerbell took her to the tavern that night.

“Wow,” Marian said, looking shocked when Regina reached the end of her story. After a pause, she shook her head and said, “I am sorry you went through all that,” she continued sincerely. “It sounds dreadful.”

“It was,” Regina agreed. But it’s been better since we’ve been together. That’s why it’s been so hard with the weather separating us. He’s been my light when I was almost consumed by darkness. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to love again. I can’t lose him.”

“Well, I promise, your secret is safe with me,” Marian said, reaching out to take her hand.

“Thank you,” Regina said, squeezing her hand back.

“And once the weather eases up, we’ll get you two back together.”

***

It was a few more days before it was mild enough out to travel by horse again, and Regina was never more grateful when it did. Too impatient to wait for Robin to come get her, she got Rocinante ready and wrapped Henry in a sling Marian had made for her.

“Take some bread and cheese with you too,” Marian insisted, handing her a bag to attach to the saddle.

“No, I can’t take any more from you. You’re family has done more than enough for mine,” Regina said, feeling guilty.

“I’m not going to let you leave with no food,” Marian said. Especially not in winter. Plus, Mother would never forgive me if I didn’t send you with something.”

Regina took the satchel from her and tied it to her saddle, and made sure Henry was securely wrapped.

“You’re sure you’ll be able to find him, right?” Marian asked.

“I will,” Regina said. “If not, he’ll find me. He probably left me signs,” she continued, finally ready to mount up as she fastened Henry to her body.

To Regina’s surprise, Marian hugged her and kissed Henry’s head.

“All of you be safe, okay,” she said.

“We’ll try,” Regina promised. “Hopefully, the Sheriff and the King will abandon their crusade eventually.”

With that, she mounted Rocinante, did a last check to make sure Henry was comfortable against her, and set off back into Sherwood Forest. The woods were quiet as she made her way back on the path she remembered her and Robin riding down. She soon found the snow was too deep for Rocinante to trek in, and began to simply let him move to where it was easier for him, hoping to avoid him slipping on any ice. The horse eventually moved towards a road that seemed clearer, and Regina was pretty sure she could probably follow it back to Nottingham at least, which might give her a way of finding Robin and the others.

The road was quiet and empty as she made her way down it towards Nottingham. She followed it for awhile, keeping to the side. At one point, Henry woke up and was hungry, so she stopped and got off Rocinante to let her son nurse. Then she was hungry herself so she ate some of the bread and cheese Marian had given her while her horse foraged in the snow.

When she was finished eating and had changed Henry, Regina saw a carriage coming around a bend down the road, with two riders acting as guards. Her fist instinct was to bolt and hide, but that was somewhat difficult with both a squirmy baby who was now awake and a horse. She also realized, especially with her horse, it would just draw attention to her. It was better to act like nothing was unusual, so she simply lowered the hood of her cloak and tried to move inconspicuously down the road, bouncing Henry to try to get him back to sleep. She was thankful he wasn’t crying.

As the hooves and wheel sounds moved closer, Regina just kept looking ahead, leading Rocinante by his reins. She was hoping they would just drive on past her.

They didn’t, they pulled up next to her and slowed down. Regina kept looking forward, but it didn’t stop the man in the carriage from speaking to her.

“Where are you headed in the snow, lassie?” an accented voice that sounded slightly familiar asked. Regina controlled her curiosity, knowing a familiar voice could be even more dangerous. This man could recall Robin of Locksley’s wife. Or worse, King Leopold’s.

“The Prince asked you a question miss!” A different voice snapped.

‘Oh god, it’s Prince John,’ she thought to herself. This was worse than she thought. She hadn’t thought it was a royal carriage, as there were no guards, which was quite unusual.

Prince John was King Richard’s younger brother, and had flirted with her obnoxiously at a ball the previous year. Whether or not he would recognize her, she couldn’t be sure.

She stared defiantly ahead, not wanting to risk it, before remembering that she couldn’t get away with that as a peasant. But it was too late. The driver turned his horses so they blocked Rocinante’s path. The two guards in front slowed and turned their horses towards her. Rocinante started, but quickly righted himself. Still the sudden movement scared Henry, who started wailing in his sling.

“Again,” the Prince said harshly, “where are you going?”

“Home,” she spat out as she stopped Rocinante so she could cradle and calm Henry easier. “Is that a problem? Was it necessary to frighten both my baby and my horse over?” she asked, looking over at him. She held her breath, and her confidence grew as she saw no look of recognition on his face. He was simply irritated by her, and by Henry’s wailing.

“Have you forgotten your place, peasant?” A man sitting in the carriage with Prince John asked, with a low and dangerous voice. “You dare speak to your Prince in such a manner?”

“If he is frightening my child, yes,” she said, trying to move Rocinante back to get away from them. Henry was still crying and she just wanted to get away from these men to soothe him and find Robin.

“Why are you out here alone with an infant in the first place,” the Prince asked, more forcefully, and the man with him (whom Regina suspected was his valet) opened the door to the carriage and made to step out.

“I was visiting friends when the storm hit and now I’m just trying to go back to Nottingham,” she explained. “Please, just let me pass.”

“Not until you answer some questions,” the valet said, moving towards her, looking like he was going to grab Rocinante’s reins.

“About what?” she asked.

“We’ve heard rumors of outlaws around these parts,” the Prince said, still sitting in the parts. “Some of them women.”

Regina tried to keep a straight face and pretend she didn’t know whom they were talking about.

“So, you’ll understand why we don’t believe you right off,” the valet said.

“How old does that baby look?” The Prince asked his valet suspiciously, no longer bothering to speak to Regina directly. “One of the women was supposedly heavy with child when they found them a few weeks ago.”

Regina tried to keep her face looking confused and clutched Henry tighter. The valet reached up as if to take her son from her and she instinctively brought up one of her hands and hit him away.

As the valet fell to the ground, the guards reacted, and started moving towards her. Regina started to try to move Rocinante again, but found that when he managed to turn himself around the guards were already there and she was backed into a corner.

“You’re not going anywhere, lassie,” one of them said, and she noticed the Prince getting out from the corner of her eye.

“You can tell us where the others are,” the other said, moving towards her, but suddenly he fell off his horse with a yell as something hit him.

Regina started as she saw the arrow puncturing the man’s arm as he lay on the ground in pain. The arrow had managed to precisely hit one of the few spots not protected by armor. Before Regina had a chance to really react, the same thing happened to the second guard. She and the Prince looked over their shoulders and her heart leapt as she saw Robin riding toward them. She and Rocinante were no longer blocked as the guards’ horses had bolted in fear, so she urged him forward.

As she turned around the back of the carriage, she noticed the bags of gold at the back and impulsively grabbed one before allowing her horse to gallop down the road. She could hear Robin’s horse catching up with them and slowed Rocinante slightly.

“How did you know where we were?” She called out to him as he rode up next to her.

“I didn’t, I was just coming to find you,” he said back. “It was pure luck.”

They galloped a bit further on until they came to a path into the woods that didn’t look too bad for the horses to turn onto. Since the guards’ horses had bolted, they wouldn’t be coming right after them, and the carriage certainly couldn’t go that way, even to determinedly follow tracks.

“How is Henry?” Robin asked, worried. He wasn’t crying as hard anymore but he still was fussy.

“I’m not sure,” Regina admitted. “Once we’re far enough from the road we’ll have to stop. He was mostly just scared I think though.”

“His crying was how I found you. I mean, I would have anyway, I was on that road, but I heard a baby crying and knew it had to be you two there somehow.”

They rode a bit farther along until they were far enough away from the road that they felt they could stop and let the horses rest. There was plenty of tree coverage at least. Robin laid out his cloak for them to sit on and Regina sat up against the tree, holding Henry against her shoulder to soothe him. Robin sat down next to her and rubbed his son’s back.

“He’s grown a lot,” he commented, a hint of sadness in his voice that he hadn’t been there to see it.

“Yes,” Regina said. “He’s definitely gotten bigger.”

With Henry finally calming down and the fright from being ambushed by Prince John fading, she turned to kiss the man she had been missing for what felt like months, even though it had only been a few weeks.

“I missed you,” she said. “That’s why I couldn’t wait. As soon as it was safe to ride, I knew I had to find you.”

“I missed you too. We all found each other and started building more of a camp and then the snow hit. They’re all putting it back together but I couldn’t wait to come get you.”

“Are they alright?” Regina asked, worried for their family.

“We all survived the storm in an abandoned barn, so for now everyone’s okay. We’ll have to build something sturdier than tents to keep us safe in winter until this business with the Sheriff blows over. If it ever does,” Robin said.

They rested awhile, Henry falling asleep and Regina and Robin continuing to fill each other in on what had gone on while they were separated. The woods stayed quiet, so they decided to move on. They walked back to the horses, who were foraging in the grass. Regina noticed she wasn’t the only one who had grabbed a sack from the back of the carriage.

“You grabbed some gold too?” Regina asked, smiling.

“Yes,” he admitted. “I know I’ve said I wouldn’t go back to thievery, but in that moment…well, it just felt like it was more right than wrong. Especially if…”

“What?” Regina asked, unsure why he paused.

“Well, since I have to back to Marian, Rebecca, and Richard’s farm to give Celia back, I’ll bring them some of the gold. To keep them on their feet so they don’t have to deal with the damn Sheriff anymore.”

“I agree,” Regina said with no hesitation. “After all the help they gave us, it’s the least we can do.”

“Honestly, I’m willing to give it all to them, we can live without it,” Robin said as they mounted up and started riding again.

“We can’t go into a village or market without risking getting caught anyway,” Regina said in agreement. “If they don’t want to take all of it, I’m sure there will be other people who need gold.”

They rode through the woods for awhile in silence before Robin spoke again.

“Do you know, this feels kind of good?”

“What does?”

“Stealing for others. I used to just do it for myself, to get by. But this, this feels different. Like, there’s a purpose to it.”

He smiled at her, and she returned it. She knew he had been hoping for a new type of life after they escaped from King Leopold, and didn’t want to go back to his old life. But here was a way of making it seem worth it, giving them a reason for this life to be just as good.

“So,” she asked coyly, “you want to be a thief again?”

“Only an honorable one milady,” he said, using his (and her) favorite nickname for her. “Only and honorable one.”

With that, they continued through the woods back to Marian’s farm, where they would leave the bags of gold in their barn with the returned horse. Then they would take their son back to their friends, and embrace their new lives as outlaws officially.


	13. Epilogue-Ten Years Later

Alright, I have decided that this will be the last chapter. Originally it was going to be a bit longer, but I'm honestly just not enjoying the show enough anymore to feel inspired enough to write this anymore and I've spent months feeling blocked. I almost abandoned it completely, but I felt at the very least, I should give you an ending to wrap it up, and show the reunion between Regina and Snow when she learns the truth. I give a summary of what happened during those ten years by having Robin tell the story to another prisoner.

Thank you, everyone, who has followed this story, I really do appreciate all the positive comments and encouragement you left.

I may continue to write OQ oneshots when the mood strikes, but I realized it was better to write this portion, which I had been looking forward to anyway, to give an ending to this story when I knew I wasn't feeling it anymore.

So, I hope you enjoy it and thank you again for your support!

 

Another prisoner had been brought in as Robin awaited his fate, a young man who admitted he had stolen some valuables from nobles. To pass the time, Robin began swapping stories with him, which turned into him revealing his identity as Robin Hood, as well as what had really become of Queen Regina ten years earlier. The young man was fascinated, having heard of the notorious outlaw, and he listened intently to Robin’s stories, asking questions occasionally. Robin wasn’t sure why it felt so good to talk about it all and wondered if it was because it essentially was a death bed confession.

“So, when did they start calling you ‘Robin Hood’?” The boy, whose name was James, asked.

Robin chuckled at the question.

“It started because the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John were always calling me a hoodlum. So I started using it as a name and after a while it stuck. There was a time when my eldest son even called me “Papa Hood” for awhile.”

“How many children do you have?” James asked.

“Two, two sons. And another child on the way soon,” Robin said, guilt and sadness rising up inside him as he realized he might never meet his newest child, or see his sons grow older. He knew Regina and the children would never be alone. The Merry Men and Women would never let them be alone or want for anything. But he still couldn’t imagine not being there with her.

He told James this as he told the story of when he almost lost Regina when she was carrying their second child Roland.

“Roland came along about five years after Henry. It was difficult raising a child in the woods, so we tried to be careful not to get pregnant again, but we were still happy when learned she was with child again.”

“But you were scared too?” James guessed

“Of course, especially when she got sick towards the time she was due to deliver, and it didn’t seem like she or Roland would make it. We tried everything to heal her, talked to medicine men and women throughout the land, but nothing helped. They all said she would most likely die and the baby too.”

“But she did survive, so something must have worked?” James asked.

“Yes,” Robin sighed, remembering. “I learned that there was a magical object that could cure her. Now, because of Regina’s and Tinkerbell’s histories in particular, we don’t normally mess around with magic. But I knew I had to try. I’d never have lived with myself if I didn’t. So I went on the most dangerous job I ever did. I tried to steal from The Dark One.”

James didn’t speak for a moment, and Robin wondered if he had shocked him into silence.

“The Dark One?” James gasped. “You robbed The Dark One? And you survived?”

“Barely,” Robin said. “He caught me, locked me up, and tortured me. Suffice it to say, hanging from your wrists for days takes quite a toll on you.”

“So, how did you get out?”

Robin couldn’t help but smile at this part, even if it wasn’t the most pleasant of memories overall.

“His servant girl, her name was Belle, let me go and helped me escape from the dungeon. I was able to take the wand on my way out and I was able to save Regina’s life. I mean, she wasn’t thrilled when I told her what I had done.”

“Was she really angry?”

“Not really, more worried. Since she had disappointed the Dark One before, she was worried he would come after us. But Tinkerbell did some scouting and found out he had another student he seemed invested in and we never heard from him. Our lives were able to carry on without magical interference. Roland was born a few weeks after I used the wand and he was perfectly healthy and happy. He turns five next month.”

Robin was silent after that for a few minutes, and then James asked him another question.

“So if Queen Regina was with you in another kingdom all these years, how did you end up back here? How did they catch you? Had you even been close to Queen Snow White since you left?”

“Not really,” Robin said. “We’d hear different things coming from different kingdoms, and a few years ago we heard of Leopold’s death. That’s when Regina and I were finally able to actually get married. That was about three years ago.”

“So you told people you were married, but you hadn’t actually done it?” James asked, sounding confused.

“Well, according to Friar Tuck, who always supported our relationship, even though King Leopold believed Regina to be dead, she was actually still married to him. So after he was dead, Tuck agreed to marry us for real. We had a nice small ceremony in the woods.”

Robin paused again to take a drink of the miniscule amount of water he’d been left with. Then he continued.

“We did a job at King Midas’ about a year later, and we were actually there when Snow was there and upset Princess Abigail’s engagement to Prince James.”

“I heard about that, although didn’t Princess Abigail not really want to marry him?”

“No, she was actually fine with not marrying him, especially when he and Snow helped her revive the man she actually was in love with. We only heard that after it happened though, we had to flee before Snow could see us, since she still has had Wanted posters out for me.”

“But she found you eventually.”

“Well, King George found me,” Robin corrected. “About a week ago we robbed his palace and we misjudged how many guards were around. I got my men out, but they got me. King George would have just executed me, but Queen Snow offered him money to take me prisoner. So, here I am.”

“Wow,” James said. “My story isn’t nearly that interesting.”

“My advice? Try to not to make it quite this interesting with thievery. I’m not saying I have regrets, but I wish I could have given Regina and our children a more normal life. So, if you’re not in too deep yet, and they let you go, try to turn things around okay?”

James didn’t answer at first. Then he said,

“Okay.”

The guards came back at that moment, and they ended the conversation. When they left, James had one more question for Robin.

“Why don’t you tell the Queen the truth? Then she’ll know you didn’t murder her step-mother. You’d be free.”

“No, I wouldn’t. And neither would Regina. I doubt faking her death is going to go over well.”

“Maybe.”

James didn’t ask him any more questions, but started telling Robin his own story to pass the time. There were hours to go before he would be executed. He prayed again that his family would be okay, and that they would forgive him.

***

Regina was leading the group through the woods back to the kingdom she’d never thought she’d enter again. She kept her head down as she entered, although if she hadn’t been recognized in this village ten years ago, she likely wouldn’t be now.

“Are we almost there Mama?” Henry asked from his pony, his little brother clinging to him. Roland looked like he was falling asleep and Regina was glad to find a clearing that they could set up camp safely.

“We’re here,” Regina said, relieved as she dismounted Rocinante. It had taken longer than it normally would as she couldn’t ride hard and risk hurting the new baby growing inside her. She was still at least four months away from delivery, and needed to be careful. But she also had a husband to rescue.

She settled her boys into their tent, asking Henry to watch his brother as he napped, and went back outside. Will, Little John, and Tuck had come with her and they now discussed how to move forward with the plan. Will in particular disagreed with what Regina believed was best.

“We can probably just break him out,” Will said. “We did it once before.”

“Have you seen the number of guards she has surrounding him?” Regina asked him. “It would be a suicide mission to break him out.”

“And going into the palace and confronting the Queen directly isn’t?” Will asked her, incredulous. “We’ve spent ten years on the run, making sure no one would learn the truth. And now, you want to walk in there and just reveal it?”

Regina sighed, trying not to feel guilty about them being on the run.

“I know. I know it sounds mad. But I think it’s probably the only way to save him. She can’t execute him if she knows he didn’t commit the crime. Or at least, she shouldn’t, and I doubt she will.”

“That doesn’t mean any of us are off the hook, we still faked your death, and let him out the first time he was captured,” John said.

“Which is why I’m going alone,” Regina stated.

“Regina…” Tuck protested.

“I have to go alone. That way, if the worst happens and I don’t come back, I need to know the boys will be okay.”

“So you admit, you think there’s a chance she may do the worst and kill you?” Will said, angrily.

Unfortunately, the little ears with them overheard that part.

“No Mama!” Roland yelled out, having woken up and run outside. His older brother ran out after him. Roland threw his arms around his mother’s waist. “You can’t go!”

“Sweetheart, I’m going to get Papa…”

“But he said the Queen might kill you!” Henry said, looking as worried as his brother which was unusual for him. “Is she going to kill Papa?”

“No darling…” she began, turning to glare at Will, who looked a bit sheepish for scaring his nephews. “I don’t think she will do that. She just, might be upset with me, and it won’t be easy to convince her to let us come back for awhile. But we can’t save Papa without seeing her.”

“Don’t go!” Roland said.

Regina knelt down to face both her children, and touched her hand to her belly where the newest one was growing.

“Papa and I have always come back haven’t we?” she said, holding Roland’s chin up and looking into Henry’s eyes.

They nodded. There were times that it had taken one or both of them awhile to get back, but their children never lost hope that they would come back.

“I promise, we will be back,” she said, hoping she wasn’t lying.

Regina squeezed both her children tightly, and kissed their foreheads.

“I love you! And I’ll be back.”

***

Regina rode Rocinante through the village, smiling as she passed the tavern where her life had changed. She followed the road towards the looming palace, feeling nervous, but not as terrified as she had been when she came to marry King Leopold. Her baby kicked her, as though sensing her unease.

“I’m sorry darling,” she said to the baby Tinkerbell was insisting was a girl. “I can’t help but worry.”

Regina noticed that much looked the same as it had before when she walked through the palace gates into the grounds. There wasn’t a flurry of activity, but some of the gardeners were out. They acknowledged her, but didn’t seem to recognize their former Queen. Not even the one tending to her old apple tree, which Regina was surprised to see not only standing but thriving.

She approached the doors still mounted, her arrows and bow strapped to her back. She dismounted when she reached the guards, saying,

“I’m here to see the Queen.”

“Her Majesty is not seeing anyone today,” one of the guards said, looking ahead rather than at her.

Regina remembered one law that would work in her favor and told the guards such.

“She’ll have to. I am Robin Hood’s wife, and I am invoking my right to plead for his life, which the laws of this kingdom permit me to do. Unless of course, the Queen has changed the law since her father’s passing.”

She found herself easily speaking to them with the authority that she would have once had over them. It almost shook her how easy it was, but she stared at them.

The guards looked at each other with surprise. They weren’t used to a peasant woman being so assertive or being so sure of what she was entitled to.

The guards permitted her entry, and escorted her into the palace up to the Great Hall. The made her relinquish her bow and quiver, which didn’t surprise her, but made her slightly uneasy. Even inside, it didn’t seem like much had changed. The Hall and Throne Room were as magnificent as ever.

A man who must have been a newer palace butler came over to where she was standing. The guards addressed him.

“Simon, this woman claims to be Robin Hood’s wife, here to make a case for his life before he is executed.”

“Her Majesty is not seeing anyone today,” the butler said. “I’m sorry Madam, but I can tell you no matter what she will not be convinced to let him live after his crimes.”

“Surely Her Majesty isn’t breaking the laws of her land,” Regina said, sternly, using the same voice she had with the guards outside.

“Excuse me?”

“When King Leopold was alive, any family members of prisoners sentenced to be executed were able to come to him and make a plea for their loved one’s life. And even if the king did not accept the plea and stay the execution, he allowed them to say goodbye. So unless the Queen has changed those laws, I am invoking those rights.”

Simon, the butler, looked like he may try to refuse again, or perhaps simply throw her in a cell with Robin. But then, someone else came into view who Regina remembered from her time as Queen. Johannah, the maid who had basically been Snow’s nanny. She looked over and saw Regina, and did a slight double take, as though she wasn’t sure she really recognized the woman in front of her.

“What’s going on here, Simon?” she asked, looking nervous.

“This woman claims to be Robin Hood’s wife. The man who murdered the former Queen, and our Queen’s step-mother.”

Johannah’s recognition seemed to grow at this statement, especially when she met Regina’s eyes. Regina nodded to her, confirming that the woman was not losing her mind.

“I will go tell the Queen you are here,” Johannah said.

“You know the Queen has asked not to be disturbed today,” Simon said, annoyed.

“I think Her Majesty will see her,” the maid said, turning out of the Hall down a corridor.

“Keep her here,” Simon instructed the guards, and he hurried after Johannah.

***

“What is going on?” Simon demanded as he followed Johannah towards the Queens’ and Prince’s quarters. “Why do you think Her Majesty will have any interest to see the wife of Robin Hood? If that’s even who this woman is…” He said, as though doubting the claim.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” was Johannah’s reply. “Besides, it is the law.”

“She must know her supposed husband can’t be set free when he murdered the former Queen.”

“Maybe not,” Johannah said, under her breath.

When they arrived, Queen Snow White and her husband Prince David (his real name) were having tea in their sitting room, and seemed surprised at the interruption.

“I apologize, Your Majesty,” Simon said, before Johannah could speak. “But, there is a woman in the Great Hall claiming to be Robin Hood’s wife, invoking her wife to plea for his wife.”

“I had never heard of him having any family,” Snow said, very surprised at this revelation. She shook it off quickly. “But that doesn’t change what he did to Regina, so even if I talk to her, it won’t change my mind. She knows that right? He’s refusing to give information, and I’ve given him every opportunity.”

“Still, Your Majesty, it may do good to see her anyway. To show the goodness in you that your people so admire,” Johannah said, knowing how important that was to Snow White, especially as Queen Eva had always impressed the importance of goodness onto her daughter.

Snow hesitated, looking like she might still refuse, so Johannah tried once more.

“And perhaps, perhaps his wife will give you the answers you’ve sought all these years,” she said.

That seemed to give Snow pause.

“Married couples tell each other things. Perhaps she knows the truth about what happened,” Johannah said.

“Maybe,” Snow said.

“I do think you should see her,” Johannah said, almost pleading.

Simon looked at her, aghast that she would try to persuade the Queen in such a way, but she ignored.

“Alright,” Snow White said, looking to her husband, who gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll see her. But my decision remains.”

Johannah didn’t respond to that, simply led her Queen down towards the Great Hall, where they approached the peasant woman, who was with child and flanked by two guards. Snow White stopped suddenly and when Johannah looked over, she was white as a sheet and her green eyes were wide. The Prince put his hand on his wife’s shoulder, concerned about her, and Johannah wondered if Her Majesty would faint.

“R-Regina,” she managed to gasp out after a moment of very awkward silence. “It-it’s you. You, you’re alive.”

“Hello Snow,” Regina said, stepping forward, nervously. “I think it’s time we talked.”

“Wait,” Prince David said, trying to wrap his head around what he was hearing. “So, you’re…”

“Yes,” Regina said. “So you see, Robin Hood didn’t murder me.”

Snow White was too stunned to speak, and she went to sit down as it appeared she might actually faint at this revelation. The guards and staff nearby appeared stunned, especially those who had been at the palace when Regina was Queen.

“Perhaps we should have this conversation somewhere else,” the Prince suggested, not wanting his wife to have a breakdown in front of everyone. Snow nodded her agreement and the three of them went into a parlor with instructions to be left alone for a time.

“I know this is shocking to you,” Regina said gently, as she took a seat. “And I’m sorry for that.”

“That’s what you’re sorry for?” Snow said, with tears in her eyes now. “For shocking me? Not for, I don’t know, letting me think you were dead. How, how are you even here? I saw them bury you!” she insisted.

“No, you saw them bury an empty coffin,” Regina explained, trying to keep her voice gentle, and ignoring the stunned looks from the staff surrounding her. “I had taken a sleeping potion, and was given the anti-dote after the ceremony. The coffin was supposed to be closed by then so no one knew I was gone.”

“Wh-why? Why would you do this?” Snow asked. “How did this…”

“Snow, please,” Regina began, putting her hands up slowly. “I’ll explain, but it will take some time, alright. It’s a bit of a long story.”

“I spent all these years thinking you were murdered!” Snow said, not wanting to listen quite yet. “My father spent years hunting down the man we believed responsible, and I continued it. All that time, you were alive. Why would you do that to us, we were your family!”

Regina sighed, knowing that while she was an adult, Snow still clung to childhood memories without being able to see the truth underneath.

“Snow, that’s now I felt,” she said slowly.

“What?” Snow asked.

“About you and your father. I didn’t feel like we were a family. And, that isn’t your fault,” Regina said.

“I don’t…” Snow interrupted, but paused when Regina put up her hand again.

“Please, let me explain. I’ve come all this way after all this time. Let me tell you the truth this time. The whole truth.”

Snow sat back, as did her Prince, and Regina began talking.

“I was barely 18 when I married your father. He was three times my age. He didn’t love me, and I didn’t love him. And I think deep down you know that, because now you’ve been in love.”

Regina paused to let Snow take this part in.

“It didn’t help that I had lost someone I loved at that time. Someone very dear to me. Someone I told you about, when we first met.”

The memory seemed to come to Snow as her eyes widened.

“You mean, Daniel? That stable boy? You, you said he left you.”

“I lied. I told you that to spare your feelings. But the truth is, my mother murdered him after you told her I wanted to marry him instead of your father.”

Snow began to tear up again, feeling like weight crashing down on her.

“I-I don’t know what to say…” Snow admitted finally.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Regina said softly. “It’s not your fault. It was hers. And it took me awhile to come to terms with that. I honestly hated you for it for awhile.”

“I guess I don’t blame you for that,” Snow said.

“When I met Robin Hood, that started to change,” Regina said. “I met him in a tavern when I left the palace one night, and felt things I hadn’t felt since Daniel. And I started to heal with him. I fell in love. And he fell in love with me, even knowing who I was and that it was dangerous for him. We kept seeing each other, he knew how to get into the palace and sometimes I would leave to see him when I could get away. I felt free for the first time in my life.”

Regina wiped her eyes, trying to stop herself from crying at the memories.

“And then, a little while after that first performance Robin and his friends did at the palace, I realized I was pregnant. And that there was no way we could go on as we were with a child coming. Your father would have known it wasn’t his, and I admit, I didn’t want to know how he would react. I was afraid for Robin’s life,” she continued to explain.

It took a long time to get through the whole story, with Regina explaining their escape and life on the run, Snow occasionally interrupting with questions, David sometimes asking for clarification as well. By the end of the conversation, with Regina explaining why they were robbing King George in the first place, both women were emotional.

“If you’re angry with me, I understand,” Regina said. “I know that this hurt you, and only now I’m seeing that it was more than I expected it too. But Snow, Robin’s only crime…”

“Besides stealing?” David said, as if he needed to establish that he and his wife had the moral high ground.

“Yes, of course, besides the fact that we stole from rich people and gave it to the poor,” Regina said sarcastically. “His only crime besides that, is that he loves me and wants me to be happy.”

Snow was silent for awhile, and David kept quiet as well.

“I am sorry Snow,” Regina said. “I am sorry, for whatever it’s worth, that I hurt you so much with this. But please, don’t take my children’s father away from them. We can go quietly, and never bother you again if that’s what you want. Just let him go.”

“Technically, you’re guilty of deceit,” David said, although his voice was softer.

“David,” Snow said, turning towards him. They seemed to have a quick conversation with their eyes. Regina was glad Snow had found someone so right for her that she could do that with.

“No, Regina,” she said after a few moments. “I don’t think that’s what I want.”

“Alright,” Regina said, but waited for her to continue.

“I spent years thinking you were dead, and wishing you had lived. And you did. You’re here. And while I’m not sure how I feel exactly, I know that it’s a good thing.”

The Queen had tears in her eyes again, but also a smile on her face. She stood up, so Regina did too. And then she was shocked by her former step-daughter coming to embrace her. But after a moment, she hugged the young woman back.

This reunion was far more positive than she could have hoped for.

Snow led them down into the dungeons, towards the cell where Robin was being held. He looked through the bars, resignation in his eyes, until he saw who was with the Queen and Prince.

“Regina,” he said, incredulous. “How-“

“She told us the truth,” David said. “So you’re a free man now.”

David was giving a slight smirk, but there was kindness in it as well, as he let Robin out of his cell.

“Well, you wouldn’t have believed it from me,” Robin said, embracing his wife and kissing her when they met again.

“No, I wouldn’t have,” Snow said. “So, I’m glad Regina came…back,” she continued, pausing, and Regina was sure she had been about to say ‘home’ and was pleased the story seemed to help her realize the truth about the woman she had called a step-mother.

Regina and Robin embraced for a moment, and then Snow and David brought them back towards the Hall, where the servants stopped and stared, but a stern noise from Simon put them back to work.

“Where will you go?” Snow asked, escorting them through the palace doors. “You can stay, if you like. I’m sure your children would like it.”

“They probably would,” Robin agreed.

“But I think we should give the people some time to get used to this, since I’m sure word will spread soon.”

“That’s true,” Snow said. “But promise me you won’t go too far. I want to be able to see you. And you probably shouldn’t if you’re with child,” Snow continued, smiling.

“We won’t be far,” Regina promised. “I probably should wait until the baby is born at this point.”

Snow hugged her goodbye again, tears in her eyes.

“Send word where you are, and I’ll come see you when I can get away,” she told Regina.

“I will,” Regina promised, mounting Rocinante, Robin getting on behind her.

“How do you feel?” Robin asked, as the rode back towards the woods where the boys and men were waiting for them.

“I should be asking you that, you were a prisoner for awhile there,” Regina said, brushing his hand with her fingers as they rode along.

“I’m all right. Nowhere near as bad as other dungeons. But I know this must have been hard for you.”

“Not nearly as much as it could have been. I was actually a bit worried about how she’d react, which is why I didn’t bring the boys. I guess I never realized how much she cared for me.”

“So, do you want to stay nearby then?”

“Maybe at least until she’s born,” Regina said, touching her belly. “It would be nice to have one pregnancy without such an eventful end.”

“She?” Robin asked, that word catching his attention.

“Tinkerbell is insisting it’s a girl, and I’ve decided she’s right until she’s proven wrong. Even if she doesn’t have her wings anymore, her intuition never fails us,” Regina explained.

“True,” Robin said, kissing her head from behind. “And maybe now, since we’re in a land where we’re no longer Wanted for crimes, we can give our children the life we talked about.”

“I don’t know if I could even get used to living indoors long term again,” Regina said with a laugh. “But, I think we can give it a try. Now, I think we’re approaching some boys who are excited to see you back.”

Robin looked up and saw a tent with two boys playing in front of it. He smiled as Henry saw them first and started running towards them, Roland following. Robin jumped off the horse and ran to reunite with his sons, holding them and squeezing them tightly. Regina joined them a moment later, and they all fell to the grass happy to be back together.

As her sons and husband laughed together and she felt her baby girl kick again, Regina rejoiced inside. Not only did she have the family she always wanted, but they no longer had to run from the world. She didn’t think she’d ever truly want for anything else and felt truly victorious. And more importantly, as happy as Tinkerbell had promised her she’d be.


End file.
